Come kick off Halloween season at Huntington Children’s Museum’s first annual Chefs vs. Surgeons Pumpkin Carving Contest on Tuesday, October 5 at 6 PM outside The Market. Grab dinner at The Market and then enjoy the show!
All contestants will have an hour to carve their masterpieces unless YOU decide to donate to extend their carving time. Additional minutes up to 60 will be available (for $5 a minute) before the event. Go to https://givebutter.com/K180dp NOW to donate and give your favorite carver additional time!
After the event, vote for your favorite contestant by donating. The contestant who receives the most donations will be crowned carving royalty on October 31. Information about how to donate will be available soon.
Contestant Profiles
Dr. Oliashirazi is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. The safety and comfort of his pumpkin will be of utmost importance during the surgery. He will be wearing a surgical spacesuit to perform this delicate procedure.
Allison White is an entrepreneur and owner of Sip Downtown Brasserie.She grew up in Huntington, WV, and graduated from Huntington High School in 2000. Allison attended Marshall University and graduated in 2005 with a degree in Accounting, and received her MBA in 2007. In 2009 she obtained a Culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University. She is a proud mother of a 3-year-old daughter and wife to Dr. Scott Keffer.
Dr. Andrea Kellar is an OB/GYN for Valley Health and has offices in Huntington and Hurricane. She has been designated as a Surgeon of Excellence in minimally invasive gynecology. Halloween is one of her favorite holidays and she has carved many pumpkins with her two children, Cam and Juliana. She is up for the competition and ready to take on all of her challengers.
Chef Marty Emerson is the manager of Huntington’s Kitchen where he has taught all ages how to prepare healthy meals. Marty has been a part of bringing healthy to life for our community. Huntington’s Kitchen partners with many different organizations to offer education on health, wellness and nutrition as well as provide people with resources and hands-on classes to be healthy at home. Huntington’s Kitchen is part of the prestigious Teaching Kitchen Collaborative and is part of Mountain Health Network.
Dr. Amiri is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Marshall University. He specializes in General and Robotic Surgery. In his time off, he enjoys woodworking, automobiles, camping, and spending time with his wife and 3 dogs. He’s looking forward to using his carving skills on a pumpkin this Fall. His main goal is to out-carve Marty!
Dr. Fry is an associate professor of Ophthalmology at Marshall Eye Surgeons. He has never carved a pumpkin before, but he is nothing if not bold in his endeavors. He will commune with the pumpkin and let it proclaim exactly how it wishes to be carved.
Dr. Felix Cheung never says something tastes like chicken, not even chicken. Sharks have a week dedicated to him. His “two cents” are worth $38 in change. When he removes a Sarcoma, the Sarcoma thanks him. He will bring a knife to this gunfight, just to even the odds. He is simply The Most Interesting Surgeon in the World.
Chef Izzy Cross and her husband Mark are the owners of 21 at the Frederick restaurant. Izzy has an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts, a field in which she has worked for over 20 years. She is currently the lead chef instructor for Mountwest Community and Technical College’s Culinary Arts Program. She and Mark live in Huntington, WV. They have two kids Camila and Fisher and two dogs Mr. Bacon and Dumpling. Her favorite part of Halloween is creating unique costumes, especially related to food!
