Lexington Cliffbreakers’ Executive Chef, Philippe Forcioli, Tapped by Sundance Film Festival to Help Raise Money for Needy
Celebrity chef builds on his reputation as one of the nation’s top culinary stars; Lexington Cliffbreakers builds on its “serving and giving” initiatives
ROCKFORD, IL | Lexington Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort announced today that its Executive Chef, Philippe Forcioli, will be travelling to Park City, Utah to partake in the exclusive Sundance Film Festival to help raise money for Gifts for Schools, a program by RewardsForGiving.org.
Cooking for such entertainment heavyweights is common for Chef Forcioli. In the past five years he has prepared culinary masterpieces for Kevin Costner (The Guardian, Dances with Wolves, Field of Dreams), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire, American Gangster), John McGinley (Scrubs) and Robin Leach (Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous).
“I enjoy opportunities this like so much and, while meeting the movie stars is a pleasure, helping them raise money for important charities is where I get my reward” says Forcioli. “We work hard and have lots of fun doing all of this. Needless to say, I get great satisfaction in working with some of the best and most creative talents in the world.”
Chef Forcioli was brought to Rockford to take over the kitchen at Cliffbreakers after his tenure of Executive Chef at the immensely successful Jean-Georges Vongerichten. A native of France, Forcioli graduated first in his class from the prestigious Brevet d’Education Professionel located in Montpellier, France.
“Cliffbreakers is thrilled to help by opening Chef Forcioli’s schedule for this time,” said Michael Ellis, Owner and General Manager of Lexington Cliffbreakers. “We are pleased to help make these fundraising efforts more successful and believe it’s an honor for us to be part of such a great event and cause.”
In late 2007 Cliffbreakers, announced an agreement to become a Lexington Hotel (formerly having been affiliated with Choice Hotels). Steve Belmonte, President and CEO of The Lexington Collection of fine hotels, plaza hotels, and resorts worldwide praised the Cliffbreakers team. “Michael (Ellis) and his team are committed to service. It shows in the comments we hear from guests, the improvements in hotel operations and, just as importantly, in their commitment to giving.”
“Cliffbreakers is expanding its commitment to make a positive contribution to our community and our environment. This effort, coupled with at least two new initiatives we’re expecting to announce soon, are very exciting,” said Ellis. “In the end, everything we do and everything we’re working on is to make the Cliffbreakers’ experience as nearly perfect as possible. It really is about doing business and celebrating life – which is not just our mission statement but it is our passion and our guide in all we do.”
About Lexington Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort
Lexington Cliffbreakers () has long been an anchor in Rockford and is known as “The Jewel of Rockford.” Built on a ridge along the beautiful Rock River, it has a fabulous vista and one of most impressive and diverse collections of international antique architectural artifacts in the country. Built originally as a banquet and conference facility in 1993 it later added a 105 room hotel in 1998. Along with the hotel the facility includes over 90,000 square feet of banquet, dining, meeting and guest suite space and 1,800 parking spaces making it the ideal location for everything from the most romantic dinner to weddings and business meetings for up to 2,000 people. Conveniently located in a beautiful setting, Lexington Cliffbreakers is the perfect destination for social and business events of any size
About Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival () is the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent film. Held each January in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah, the Festival is a core program of Sundance Institute, a nonprofit cultural organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981Presenting dramatic and documentary feature-length films in nine distinct categories and approximately 80 short films each year, the Sundance Film Festival has introduced American audiences to some of the most innovative films of the past two decades. Since 1984, the Festival program has evolved to include music, art, and dialogue.
Michael Ellis
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