Junior chef acknowledged for cuisine and charity
Media release: October 23, 2014
Junior chef acknowledged for cuisine and charity
Nicholas Brockelbank is mixing up inspiration in his Cambridge kitchen, despite being only 12-years-old. Following a recipe for success, this junior foodie is creating delicious food and publishing cookbooks, while giving back to his community.
Chef Nic is a finalist in the Junior Award category in the 2014 Attitude Awards. The national awards celebrate the excellence and achievements of Kiwis with a disability.
Nic has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive form of muscular dystrophy which has transformed him from being an active young boy to now using a wheel chair when muscle pain and fatigue get too much.
Nic’s condition has only strengthened his passion for cooking and cuisine. After winning the TVNZ Good Morning Kids Cook Off in 2011, Nic approached Scholastic who agreed to publish Nic’s Cookbook. This was just the start of a foodie’s dream turning into reality, with a second cookbook, Nic’s Lunchbox, published last year.
Nic would love to continue to write cookbooks and to one day open his own restaurant. And he has all the right ingredients to see his dreams come true – including a desire to give back to his community.
Half of the royalties from cookbook sales were donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Nic has also used his cookbooks to raise funds for Christchurch Earthquake relief and the True Colours Children’s Health Trust.
Nic has been the ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association for the last three years, lending his time and face to the association’s campaign. He also designed the artwork for posters used for its annual Bow Tie appeal.
Nic will find out if he has won the Junior Award, wearing his own bow tie, at a gala dinner on World Disability Day, December 3 at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre. Nic says: “I’m very proud to be nominated for an award and I’m really excited about the award night.”
There are eight categories in the 2014 Attitude Awards: Sport Performer of the Year, Courage in Sport, Artistic Achievement, Youth, Spirit of Attitude, the Attitude ACC Employer Award, Making a Difference Award and the inaugural Attitude Junior Award. The overall winner of the Attitude ACC Supreme Award is selected from the category winners and a People’s Choice winner and a Hall of Fame inductee are also announced on the night.
Attitude Awards Trustee Dan Buckingham, a member of the elite national wheelchair rugby team the Wheel Blacks, says: “This is such an exciting time for everyone at Attitude Pictures because we find out who the finalists are. We have started travelling the country to film the finalists and even though this is the seventh year, their stories continue to amaze us.”
Dan encourages everyone to visit AttitudeLive.com, an innovative web platform created by Attitude Pictures, in early November to see the short films of the finalists and to vote for the person most deserving of the coveted ‘People’s Choice Award.’
The Junior Award is sponsored by Barfoot & Thompson. Other sponsors supporting the awards include: Invacare, Westpac, IHC Foundation, Drake Medox, Ministry of Health, Air New Zealand and Wayne Francis Charitable Trust.
Chief Executive of ACC Scott Pickering says ACC is proud to be principal sponsor of the awards for the seventh year, including sponsorship of the Attitude ACC Employer Award and the Attitude ACC Supreme Award.
"I'm really looking forward to this year's Attitude Awards, which are a significant event on New Zealand's calendar. Through celebrating excellence in the disability community and the important contributions made by New Zealanders with disabilities, the awards have the power to shift perceptions and to enhance lives."
For tickets to the Attitude Awards gala evening on Dec 3 contact Sue Wales-Earl at sue@attitudeawards.org or phone 09 377 6280.
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