New Orleans, LA – Paul Fritz
For local residents and out of town visitors alike, there are an overwhelming amount of dining and dancing options throughout the several streets of New Orleans’ vibrant night-life. This is especially true on the weekend ahead of the College Football National Championship game. Fortunately, Taste of the Championship at Mardi Gras World delivered entertainment and delicious cuisine in full.
The event itself provided an unmatched dining experience for those who are interested in sampling gourmet dishes from more than 30 restaurants in the New Orleans area. And really, who wouldn’t be interested? From melt in your mouth pork to fresh scallops to Muffuletta, every restaurant delivered with creativity and quality. Beyond the food, live music, and bottomless beverages, all those attending the event directly contributed to the benefit our nation’s inestimable value on public education.
The efforts of the College Football Playoff Foundation program, Extra Yard for Teachers, have reminded us over the last 4 years the significance of recognizing the importance of providing resources and development for teachers across the country. This year, over $1 million has been donated to the foundation. Altogether, 23 teachers throughout the countryattended the event and were provided with additional funding as well as tickets to the championship game.
College Football analysts Kirk Herbstreit and Marty Smith introduced the event to recognize the several teachers who had attended. In front of the hundreds attending, Herbstreit said, “So many teachers impacted all of us and for us to have a small way of giving back to all the amount of time you put in, the differences you make in so many lives, the people you touch, it’s great for us to be a part of that.”
Over the last few years, the Extra Yard for Teachers initiative through the College Football Playoff Foundation has become a staple for the College Football Playoff. With events like Taste of the Championship, we are reminded as a society that we can infinitely thrive as long as we contain the desire to give back to the direct experiences and values that were provided to us as children. As far as giving back goes, the Extra Yard lives by their name.
