The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) is naming one of its scholarships after an Oliver man who died in a motor vehicle accident earlier this year.
The Pat Gaudet Memorial Scholarship will be given out annually to the child of a hospitality worker that wishes to follow in their parent’s footsteps. The scholarship, worth $1,000, will support higher education in hospitality-related programs.
Applications for one of three industry scholarships are open now at bchospitalityfoundation.com.
Originally from Prince Edward Island, Gaudet, 45, was a certified sommelier and a formally-educated oenologist (wine expert) with more than two decades of experience in the hospitality and beverage industry, including positions at Road 13 Vineyards, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, and BC Food & Wine Trails Magazine.
His life was cut tragically short when he succumbed to injuries sustained after being trapped in a crashed semi truck in March. He leaves behind his wife Yvonne, an executive chef, along with his two beloved daughters, Kiera Jack and Maura Kendall.
“When we heard about the Gaudet family’s loss, we knew we wanted to help in whatever way possible,” says BCHF Chair Christine Coletta. “This scholarship celebrates family, education and wine, things that were known to be important to Pat.”
