LOCAL SUPPORTS LOCALS #6 LET THE KIDS COOK by Donnie Masterton

With extensive experience in San Miguel, Chef Donnie Masterton recalled his beginnings in the culinary world when, at just 15 years old, he entered a kitchen in New York, where he worked for years to become a great cook and later a renowned Chef.

In gratitude and as a way of giving back, Donnie founded “Let the Kids Cook,” a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to help underprivileged children in San Miguel with a strong interest in the culinary world attend gastronomy schools and later complete internships in professional kitchens such as The Restaurant.

This great idea fosters the children’s natural talents and passions, which otherwise would not have the resources to pursue a career in the exciting world of gastronomy, since in addition to school expenses, the program also provides financial support for uniforms, ingredients, equipment, and knives.

Likewise, if the kids are selected to do an internship abroad, “Let The Kids Cook” covers transportation costs, thus opening up a new world of possibilities where discipline and perseverance are the qualities most valued in becoming great Chefs.

Donnie tells us that throughout his career he has been fortunate to mentor students who later become cooks, then Chefs, and go on to open their own restaurants while traveling all over the world.

So far, this year the organization has managed to enroll 10 children in culinary schools, an extraordinary effort and a tremendous success story whose founder hopes that in the future it will be able to help hundreds of children from San Miguel bring the name of our land to the top in the best restaurants in the world.

Let The Kids Cook is a testament to what happens when talent meets opportunity. At LOCAL, we celebrate initiatives that originate in our community and find a way to give back to it. Because when local supports local, we all grow.