Released April 4, 2005

Hattiesburg- Students in the tourism management program at The University of Southern Mississippi will host a special fund-raising event featuring local chef Robert St. John and Mississippi artist Wyatt Waters.

A Summer Seafood Supper is set for April 21 from 6 -10 p.m. at the Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center. The event will begin with a wine reception and silent auction followed by a tasting supper. St. John will demonstrate the preparation of a summer seafood supper, while Waters uses this seafood palette to create one of his original watercolors. The cookbook A Southern Palate, written by St. John and illustrated by Waters, will be available for purchase and signing.

A silent auction begins at 6 p.m. and dinner is set for 7 p.m. Guests can bid on a variety of items representative of various partners in the hospitality industry including dinners, shows, Gulf Coast fishing trips, New Orleans and Destin weekends, cooking items and a trip for two at a Sandals and Beaches Resort.

The supper is organized and hosted by students in the in the Southern Miss Department of Tourism Management. Professor Catherine Price said, "I greatly appreciate all of the contributions from Robert St. John, an alumnus of this department, who is always giving his time and resources to support the tourism students."

A portion of the proceeds from this event will fund scholarships for tourism management students to attend national, regional and state professional association meetings. This year, three $500 scholarships were awarded to assist students in attending the annual Professional Convention Management Association meeting.

Tickets are available through the Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center at $35 per person. For more information, contact the convention center at (601) 268-3220 or Denise Crozier in the Department of Tourism Management at (601) 266-6762.

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