Centenary Alumni Association wraps up inaugural "Beast Feast;" sets date for 2018
SHREVEPORT, LA — The Centenary Alumni Association’s inaugural “Beast Feast” fundraiser held on May 20 raised over $18,000 for the Centenary Fund for Student Scholarships. Organizers have already announced May 19, 2018 as the date for the second annual Beast Feast on Centenary’s Jones Rice Field.
“We are thrilled about the success of our inaugural Centenary College Beast Feast event,” says Saige Soloman, director of alumni and family relations at Centenary. “While one of the goals was certainly raising funds for the College, our auxiliary goal was to engage the Shreveport-Bossier community in a unique, fun way and I believe we did just that. We have heard nothing but great reviews from the event and we already have a number of participants signed up for next year!”
More than 300 attendees at the 2017 Beast Feast enjoyed the sounds of The Rockin’ Redeyes as they visited 18 separate food tents to sample exotic game and unique dishes such as port wine and blueberry-braised rabbit, deer chili, and jalapeño venison poppers. Centenary was well represented among the chefs and cook teams, led by President Christopher Holoman’s tribute to his home state, a North Carolina “pig pickin’.” Hurley School of Music Dean Gale Odom and her husband John contributed a pheasant, dove, and andouille sausage gumbo, Assistant Provost Ed Ragan cooked his Cajun-Asian Fusion wild pork meat pies, and Centenary Police Chief Eddie Walker was on hand to grill stuffed pork tenderloin and chicken breasts from Bergeron’s Cajun Meats and dish out jambalaya from Shaver’s.
Voting for the “Best of Beast Feast 2017” award was ongoing throughout the afternoon, as attendees registered their favorite dishes via secret ballot. The ultimate crowd favorite was Team Papaw Willie and chef Greg Wilhite with a duck and deer sausage gumbo.
A photo gallery from the event is available here.
2017 Participants and Menu Items
Milbar Hydro-Test, Inc
Chef: Robert Jackson
Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Marissa Brown Personal Chef Service
Chef: Marissa Brown
Port wine and blueberry braised rabbit served over sage and thyme scented polenta
Rotary Riverbend-Shreveport
Chefs: Casey McBeath & Tyler Williams
Boiled Shrimp
John & Gale Odom
Pheasant, Dove, and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Dream Hunt Foundation
Chef: Jeff Warren
Deer Chili
Thomason Lawn Care
Chef: Paul Thomason
Venison & Bacon Pinwheels
Ratcliff Animal Hospital
Chef: Keith Ratcliff
Jalapeño Venison Poppers
Team Papaw Willie
Chef: Greg Wilhite
Duck & Deer Sausage Gumbo
Stone Forks Restaurant
Chef: Brandon Baudry
Shrimp & Grits Crostini
PACE
Chef: Allen Phelps
Swamp Jambalaya
Ragan Casian
Chef: Ed Ragan
Cajun-Asian Fusion Wild Pork Meat Pies
Centenary College
Chef: Chris Holoman, President
North Carolina Pig Pickin'
Biomedical Research Foundation
Chef: Centenary Police Chief Eddie Walker
Bergeron's Pork Tenderloin & Chicken Breasts stuffed with Jalapenos & Cream Cheese, Wrapped in Bacon AND Shaver's Jambalaya
Strawn's Eat Shop
Assorted Strawn's Famous Pies
Wild Thang Custom Meats
Chef: Gene Smith
40-Day Dry Aged Venison Steak & Elk Sausage
Sodexo Food Service
Chef: Melina McClure
Pork Sliders, Baked Beans & Coleslaw
Chefs and cook teams interested in participating in Beast Feast 2018 should contact Saige Solomon at ssolomon@centenary.edu or 318.869.5115.