Wildebeest on the Menu at 9th Annual Junior Chef Competition
On Saturday July 27, 2024, Executive Chef Milas Willliams and World Lolei Inc hosted the 9th Annual Junior Chef Competition at the Kitchen Campus located at 3014 Rivas Street in San Antonio, Texas. In this competition two teams of amateur chefs ages 11-17 competed by showing off their culinary skills. This year’s big challenge was to prepare Wildebeest, an exotic meat.
Celebrity judges were Hon. Rosie Speedlin Gonzalez, Nelson Milian, Jerry Yguerabide, Jamie Gonzalez-Stevens, Byronne Bosier, Michael Lambert, Ed Villarreal and Richard Pichon. A special guest appearance was made by Bexar County Constable Kat Brown and Executive Chef Johnny Hernandez. The event included a live DJ, and free snacks for the public. As always, this event was free and open to the public. Special thanks to The San Antonio Spurs, Ben. E. Keith, San Antonio Rising Stars Inc, Big Mama’s Safe House, Prince Hall Masonic Lodge, Executive Chef Johnny Hernandez, Jasons Deli and Daniel Jimenez of the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.
And The Winner Is!
The Junior Chefs competing this year were Daylan Edwards, Jakye Jackson, Tristan Savage and JJ Powell. The Winner of the Junior Chef Competition was JJ Powell. In addition to a competition between the Junior Chefs, there was the yearly Best of the Best competition between two established Chefs. Executive Chef Kersten Beasley won the 2024 Best of the Best Competition with the preparation of a delicious Wildebeest dish.
Back to School Shoe Giveaway
The next day, Sunday July 28th, World Lolei Inc and San Antonio Rising Stars Inc hosted its 4th Annual Back 2 School, Back to School event. This year 100 students from the San Antonio community received free shoes from Foot Locker at Northstar Mall.
Exe. Chef Milas Williams
Exe. Chef Milas Williams, a native of San Antonio, Texas, is an award-winning celebrity chef, author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He began his culinary career as a small child watching and helping his mother and grandmother in the family kitchen. His natural curiosity led him to experiment with the different textures and tastes of his Afro Hispanic culture and the Tex Mex culture of San Antonio.
After a turbulent youth, Williams attended St. Philip’s College in San Antonio and graduated in 2017 with an Associate of Culinary Arts and in 2022 achieved an Associate Culinary Arts Level III Master Chef degree.
About World LOLEI Inc.
In 2014, Milas Williams founded the nonprofit WORLD LOLEI Inc. Its founder and life coaches envisioned an organization that would be an asset to the world, with an eye towards helping at risk youth and their families. Through his nonprofit World LOLEI Inc, Williams has outreach initiatives that include an annual Community Junior Chef Competition, a yearly Youth Empowerment Thanksgiving dinner, Back 2 School – Back 2 Shoes event, Christmas Cash for Kids and is financially assisting families in need of resources. In addition, World lolei Inc has partnered with the Bexar County Juvenile Probation division for a six-week course that takes at risk youths and introduces them to the culinary world. The class falls under the nonprofit’s elite intervention program that helps teens avoid the pitfalls that plagued the chef in the past.
Awards
Chef Milas Williams is the recipient of the Alamo Area Council of Governments Citizen of The Year Award, Tha 1 Award, a certificate of recognition from Senator Jose Menendez as well as a proclamation from the Bexar County Commissioners Court. In 2023, VIDA SA presented Chef Milas Williams with a street named “Milas Lane” in his honor. 2024 Chef Milas won 2nd place in the 14th Annual Paella Challenge held in San Antonio, Texas.
