Gold Medal Plates, presented by EPCOR, is taking place at the Fairmont Palliser on Wednesday October 27th. It is an Olympic-sized event created to raise funds and awareness for Canada's elite athletes. This national event will bring together Canada's best chefs in a competition that will celebrate the Olympic spirit, food, wine and entertainment.

Gold Medal Plates is taking place in Calgary as well as in seven other cities across the country including: Ottawa, Halifax, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver, and Whistler (a very successful Toronto event happened in May of this year). The event will include a performance by internationally renowned star Michael Burgess, the National Entertainment Advisor for Gold Medal Plates.

Michael Stadtlander, one of Canada's most celebrated chefs, will be specially selecting eight of Calgary's finest Chefs to vie for the gold medal. Each chef will create a specialty dish, inspired by an Olympian, which will be enjoyed by guests at their city's gala. The gold medal winner from Calgary will then go to Whistler to participate in a Gold Medal Celebration National Final in November.

Michael Stadtlander's selections for the competing chefs from Calgary will be announced at a Press Conference on Wed. Sept. 8, 2004 at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel, in the Oval Room. The Press Conference will take place from 1:30 pm to 2:15 pm and will include a free lunch for the Media. The lunch will be prepared by Fairmont Palliser Chef Shaun Deslaurniers.

For more information and to confirm your attendance at the Press Conference , please contact Glenn Fawcett at (403) 291-9700, or gfawcett@direct.ca.