Students take part in cooking contest at Griffin Hospital in Derby

From left: Anthony Nakis, Derby Middle School, Victoria Caiza, Seymour Middle School, Emma Jackson, Western Elementary School, Naugatuck, Kayla Kilincoglu, Perry Hill School, Shelton, and Colin Cepeda, Mead School, Ansonia, competed in the 4th Annual Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools Healthy Cooking Competition Finals at Griffin Hospital./ Contributed photo

DERBY - Derby Middle School eighth grader Anthony Nakis was top chef at the 4th Annual Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools (VITAHLS) Healthy Cooking Competition.

Nakis’s Tex-Mex Bison Burger Sliders were named best by a panel of judges that included elected officials and representatives from Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, and Naugatuck at Griffin Hospital in DerbyMay 23. Nakis’s recipe beat out tasty and healthy entries by Colin Cepeda, of Mead School in Ansonia, Kayla Kilincoglu, of Perry Hill School in Shelton, Victoria Caiza, of Seymour Middle School, and Emma Jackson, of Western Elementary School in Naugatuck.

“Each year, the contest provides a fun and exciting way for local students to showcase their talents for cooking, and to encourage a passion for both healthy eating and cooking within the local community,” said Kim Doughty, MPH, PhD, VITAHLS Coordinator at The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

The five contestants advanced to the finals by winning regional competitions in their school district. 

All finalists received a personalized apron, a gardening basket from Massaro Community Farm, a $25 gift card to Sports Center of Connecticut, and other items. 

As the grand prize winner, Nakisalso received a basket and gift card from Common Bond Market in Shelton and passes to Monster Mini Golf in Orange, Rockin’ Jump Trampoline Park in Trumbull, and “IT,” the ropes course at Jordan’s Furniture in New Haven.

The event was emceed by John Vazzano, chef and owner of Vazzy’s restaurants.

VITAHLS is a childhood obesity prevention initiative collaboration between Griffin Hospital, Yale Griffin PRC, and the Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Shelton, and Naugatuck school districts. 

Since 2011, VITAHLS has integrated a variety of nutrition and physical activity programs into the existing school structure to help reduce childhood obesity.

This is a press release from Griffin Hospital.