Pasta King honored at SRJC event

Santa Rosa Junior College will hold its third annual SRJC Wine Classic on Feb. 12 from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. in the Lawrence A. Bertolini Student Center on SRJC’s Santa Rosa campus. Tickets, which include free parking, are $75 per person for adults age 21 or over and can be purchased at www.srjcwineclassic.com.

The SRJC Wine Classic is a walk-around tasting reception, with a unique gathering of 30 different Sonoma County wineries and their owners, principals, and winemakers pouring more than 50 wines. Live music will be provided by SRJC students, and gourmet appetizers will be provided by SRJC Culinary Arts students, graduates and alumni. All proceeds will support SRJC Wine, Culinary Arts & Hospitality programs and student scholarships. Last year’s SRJC Wine Classic raised more than $39,000.

The three-hour walk-around event will celebrate this year’s Honorary Co-Chairs Art Ibleto, widely known as “The Pasta King,” and Evelyn Cheatham, founder of Worth Our Weight’

As the one and only Pasta King, Art Ibleto has touched generations in Sonoma County with pasta, kindness, and an unfailingly generous heart. At age 22, Ibleto was an Italian soldier who immigrated to the U.S. after World War II, and began work as a zucchini picker in Petaluma. He and his wife Vicki eventually opened the Spaghetti Palace at the Sonoma County Fair, which was a favorite of fairgoers for more than four decades. He has supported SRJC students and their programs by cooking and donating at countless events and fundraisers for the college. He and his Pasta King logo are a Sonoma County staple at countless charity events, and his enthusiastic promotion of Italian culture has enriched Sonoma County.

As a chef, restaurateur, grape grower, vintner, and supporter of countless educational, charitable and other nonprofit community causes, few in Sonoma County have given more of themselves to charity and to others than Art Ibleto. Having enjoyed a very public Sonoma County celebration of his 90th birthday this past October, Ibleto’s life is a shining example of what it means to be our brother’s keeper.

Evelyn Cheatham is known for her tireless dedication to providing opportunities and second chances to others. Moving to Sonoma County in 1987, Cheatham soon became part of the local food scene in Healdsburg and Santa Rosa. In 2006, she founded the nationally acclaimed culinary apprentice program Worth Our Weight (WOW) in Santa Rosa. The project was a culmination of her years of work in the food industry and her passion for helping under-served youth. Cheatham’s leadership at WOW has shown the power that growing, cooking and eating good food can have on youth.

WOW apprentices are young people (ages 16-24) who have faced major challenges in their lives, including foster care, difficulties with the law, homelessness, and significant family disruption. Cheatham and WOW provide tuition-free culinary and food service training. Young apprentices also operate WOW’s acclaimed weekend café and celebrity chef dinners in a supportive, team-based learning environment.

Cheatham’s support of SRJC students and its programs is proven on many levels, including the ongoing success stories of WOW apprentices who continue their studies and culinary training at SRJC. Cheatham’s life is a reminder that mentoring and dedication to those less fortunate can both change lives and lift an entire community.

“The SRJC Wine Classic will again bring key community members, including alumni, friends, partners and supporters, back to the college to enjoy world-class local wine and food in a social, interactive setting,” said St. Francis Winery President Christopher Silva, who also serves as Chairman of SRJC’s Wine Studies Advisory Board.