Long Island’s Chris Algieri recently teamed up with the Garden of Dreams Foundation for a unique virtual question and answer session with adolescents in the Chef Culinary Class from Children’s Aid.
The former WBO junior welterweight champion of the world described how he used to watch boxing with his grandfather growing up, his passion for boxing, reminisced about spending time with his grandparents, how his love for food came from his Argentinian / Italian family and how food and nutrition played a major role in becoming a top athlete in high school.
The 24-3 pugilist also spoke about seeing himself in the culinary space moving forward and why the Argentinian Flank Steak is his favorite dish in his cook book – The Fighter’s Kitchen.
The group asked questions on how he is able to multitask between fighting and cooking, who his biggest influence in cooking is, and his thoughts on Manny Pacquiao. “He is an absolute legend,” Algieri said. “He is going to be a first ballot hall of famer. He is 43 years old now and still beating undefeated world champions. The guy is absolutely incredible.”
Algieri also submitted a cooking video to the group of him making his version of the White Castle hamburger and will also participate as a judge for the classes final projects.
More than ever Garden of Dreams is committed to the young people it serves and devoted to the mission of bringing life changing opportunities to young people in need. The Garden of Dreams team has been in constant contact with their partner organizations, and they have emphasized the importance of providing diversions for their youth during these unprecedented times.
Many are in difficult situations and providing them with positive distractions will have a big impact on their well-being. To meet this critical need, Garden of Dreams is providing new and exciting ways to provide young people in our communities with opportunities virtually.