It’s done! The school kitchen has been updated and the Culinary Sciences Lab is in and kids are learning to cook! Way to go Mason! As if that weren’t enough, Mason stepped up to help raise the money to pay for the groceries and supplies for the classes. He donated $200 of his Chopped Junior prize money, a couple of other people made $100 donations and the Mountain Mandarin Festival brought in the big money of $1,000 to sponsor the program for the remainder of this school year! THANK YOU!!
That would bring Mason’s fundraising efforts to $27,452 and something tells me he’s not done.
Mason Partak has made it his mission to update his school kitchen. Alta Vista School in Auburn, CA is over 100 years old and does not have a stove or oven, and the dishwasher does not work. Because Mason is a kid cook, he would like to see the school have a fully functioning kitchen so that they can not only provide hot, nutritious meals, but also because he would like to see other kids learning to cook. Kids who can cook are more confident in all areas of their lives and aren’t those the future citizens we want? Mason thinks so! Two local chefs have offered a culinary curriculum for the school and Mason wants to see that come to fruition. He has several great fundraisers planned in addition to utilizing social media and our local television station who has him on every other month. Mason’s goal is to have the new kitchen in place for the start of the next school year (2015/2016). Mason is working to raise $25,000! He did it! AS of 12/9/2014 Mason raised $26,052! Way to go Mason! Because of the age of the school, the plan now is to install a fully functioning Food Science Lab where the kids at Alta Vista Community Charter School can get their hands in the mix and learn to cook. At the end of each school year, the school will host a luncheon made up of food the students have prepared. The plans are underway now and Mason now has his sights set on a large kitchen company stepping up to sponsor the FSL and equip it with all the kitchen tools necessary to cook real meals. All of this because a then 3rd grader asked, “Why not?”

So proud of you!!!!
This is incredible. It not only started with a kids idea and talent but is growing and will inspire countless others. Way to go—high TEN!!!