Rodney Scott at fundraiser
Pitmaster and James Beard award‑winning chef Rodney Scott attended the Franciscan Center’s annual Plated fundraiser in Baltimore as a featured guest this week. (wbaltv.com) Local reporting framed Scott’s appearance as a benefit element for the Franciscan Center’s Dignity Plates program. (wbaltv.com)
Rodney Scott, the South Carolina pitmaster who won a James Beard Award, was the featured guest Thursday at the Franciscan Center of Baltimore’s annual Plated fundraiser. (fcbmore.org) The event was scheduled for April 16, 2026, at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, with individual tickets priced at $175 and organizers saying it was nearly sold out. (fcbmore.org) (wbaltv.com) Plated is the Franciscan Center’s flagship fundraiser, and this year’s program included a live cooking competition judged by Scott plus tastings from nearly 18 local restaurants, executive director Jeff Griffin told local television. (fcbmore.org) (wbaltv.com) The money supports the Franciscan Center’s Dignity Plates Culinary Training Academy, a 13-week no-cost program in Baltimore that teaches classic culinary techniques, food safety, knife skills, and other kitchen basics. (wbaltv.com) (fcbmore.org) The academy is set up as workforce training, not a hobby class. The Franciscan Center says students work toward ServSafe Food Manager certification and learn menu development, buffet and catering production, and plate presentation for professional kitchens. (fcbmore.org) Local coverage tied Scott’s visit directly to that training effort during a barbecue-themed week for students. Scott said he joined after hearing about the center’s “confidence” and education for “young upcoming chefs.” (wbaltv.com) Scott brings national name recognition to a Baltimore nonprofit event. He has cooked whole-hog barbecue since childhood, opened Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston in 2017, and won the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southeast award in 2018. (chefsmakingwaves.com) (foodandwineclassicincharleston.com) The Franciscan Center has been building Plated into a larger annual showcase for that mission. Its 2025 event drew more than 300 guests, featured more than 20 food and drink vendors, and highlighted graduates of Dignity Plates in a live competition. (citybiz.co) Thursday’s fundraiser put that same formula in front of donors again: a celebrity pitmaster, a cooking contest, and a job-training program the center says is designed to move Baltimore students into paid kitchen work. (wmar2news.com) (fcbmore.org)
