Ryan Wells Foundation
At Tarpon Springs High School, Ryan Wells became a leader among his classmates and peers. After joining the golf team his freshman year, he was to be captain of the team his senior year. He loved the school's culinary program so much 
that he focused his career goals on culinary arts. His culinary instructors remember him as the first one in the classroom, heating up the ovens, eager for more time to cook and learn. In June of 2005, Ryan was one of 30 students around the state selected to attend the Florida Restaurant Association ProStart Invitation at Johnson and Wales University in Miami. For Ryan, this was an opportunity to help his classmates prepare for the state competition his senior year. But while returning home from Miami on June 11th, he was involved in a 
car accident that took his life.
Ryan’s passion for life inspired others and made him a leader among his peers. He possessed great dedication in all his endeavors, including the Boy Scouts, the Tarpon High School Golf team and the Interact Club. Shortly before his death, Ryan was awarded the honor of Eagle Scout. During his junior year, he became actively involved the Culinary program at Tarpon Springs High. At this time, his plans to become a chef and attend college for the Culinary Arts and field of Hospitality blossomed. The purpose of the Foundation is for students to live out Ryan’s dreams by pursuing a career in 
the culinary or hospitality fields as he had planned. The Foundation is also committed to helping the high school culinary programs of Pinellas County. The students we select will hopefully go on to great heights and give back to the community as Ryan would of. The students are selected on both academics and extracurricular activities.
Since its formation in 2005, The Ryan Wells Foundation has awarded 30 scholarships to Pinellas County students amounting to over $100,000. To be considered for selection, students must have completed 3 semesters of culinary courses at a Pinellas County school and have a 2.5 GPA. An essay explaining their career goals is also required. Extracurricular activities and teacher recommendations are recommended.
April 22, 2009
Evening with the Chefs:
A Culinary Arts Dream Come True
Sheraton Sand Key Resort Executive Chef John Harris, accompanied by several leading chefs from seven of Tampa Bay's area restaurants and resorts working with the ProStart culinary high school students of Tarpon Springs, Northeast, Osceola, and Dixie Hollins featured signature appetizers, entrees and desserts.
As well as the spectacular food, there was live entertainment, a silent and live auction featuring unique destinations, fine jewelry, artwork, exquisite dinner parties, and more! All with the purpose of providing scholarships and grants for students to live out Ryan’s dreams by pursuing a career in the culinary or hospitality fields as he had planned.
Chef John Harris, Sheraton Sand Key
Alaskan Crab Tail, Alaskan Spot Prawns, Bamboo Rice, Morimoto Foam
"Russ Kimball,
Vince Calandra and I, we created this event, Evening With The Chefs.
I'm involved because I want to give back to the kids and the community. It's just kind of a natural thing to give back, it's an extension of what we do on a daily basis. We try to give back through things that give us joy."
Asian Braised Pork Belly, Tandoori Sea Scallop, Spicy Slaw "It's a good cause that helps out kids who are less fortunate and who wouldn't have been able to afford schooling. I had a former employee that was a student who benefitted from this program. He got a scholarship and he's moving on from us." Chef Doug Bebell, Mystic Fish Braised Boneless Short Ribs, Rock Shrimp Hasbrowns, Horseradish Napa Slaw "This is our 4th year supporting the culinary arts programs of local area high schools. Our hope is to get chefs trained and put them back in our system and make the restaurants in the area a lot better." Chef Chris Ponte, Café Ponte Three Crab Crabcake, Old Bay Remoulade "We have to start with the young people in our own backyards. The Ryan Wells Foundation, through fundraising events like this one, afford kids with an interest in the food industry, an opportunity they might not get otherwise." Chef David Miller, Savant Fine Dining Assorted Chocolates & Petit Fours "It goes directly back to the students. It benefits every fine dining restaurant in Tampa Bay by letting the students have, not only the opportunity to work in a fine dining restaurant, but further their career in school, by giving them scholarships. It's the love of Ryan's family and that they do this in honor of him." Chef Tyson Grant, Parkshore Grill House Cured Farm Raised Sturgeon, Deep Fried Mustard Greens, Peery Arugala Coulis Chef Mark Hrycko, Island Way Grill Genovese Braised Pork, Gorgonzola Polenta, Gremolata "The basis of our culinary career starts with the young guys and we have to support them. I was mentored when I was a young cook and it's time to give back now. It's a joy to do this with young aspiring chefs." Chef Stephen Jordan, Sandpearl Resort Caretta 'Take Five,' Peanut Butter Mouse, Chocolate Dipped Pretzel, Caramel "I love the high school level and that they aren't paying for school, they have the true passion. Chefs from this area are close and we work together. We see the big picture of what this can do for the kids and the culinary industry in our area." Chef Robert Adams, Executive Chef at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom 
Chef Scott Bebell, Guppy's
"This is a great opportunity to help young chefs have a chance to learn and go to school and gain access to the proper products and instructions. Last year I had students work with me, then they went off to culinary school." 
Fresh Rock Shrimp, Romano White Grits, Spring Tendrils, Truffle Oil, Roasted Pepper Essence
"The Foundation itself is important because it is memorializing a culinary student. It represents something for the other students who want to further their education in the culinary field, through scholarships. By recognizing some of these students in these programs who have an interest in being a chef, or the hospitality industry, we give them an opportunity to do something beyond high school. They'll come back to us in the industry, as an entrepreneur, and work in a restaurant or in food service. I was unaware of how strong the culinary programs were on this side of the state. We have a few in central Florida (Orlando area) but the last couple of years these are starting to get some notariety and have become a huge deal. There's some opportunity in the future to tap into some of this and help a lot more students find their way. We (Disney) are trying to choose what kind of community events we support. The benefit in the end, with proper recruitment and working with these individualsis that there might be a connection there."