Spirit of Hope Award Matt Bencivenga Chef and Managing Partner, Wolfgang Puck Catering During Matt's formative years in the 70's and 80's, the Bencivenga household in New Providence, New Jersey, was filled with country music, laughter, love and dancing, along with many lifelong family friends. His close-knit family included his parents, Pearl "Pooch" and Joseph "Benji" Bencivenga, and his brothers, Joe and Mark. Matt's father, a Pop Warner football coach, encouraged all three boys' interest in his favorite sport, as well as wrestling. In sports Matt first honed his leadership skills, serving as the quarterback of his New Providence High School football team. Later, Matt attended Kutztown University and became the scrum-half on his college rugby team, the Golden Bears, where he was considered a team leader. Following his years at Kutztown, Matt attended Johnson & Wales University's highly regarded College of Culinary Arts in Rhode Island. Upon graduation, he worked at the Cambridge Hyatt in Boston. He then moved to New York and worked at the acclaimed River Café. Later, Matt relocated to Los Angeles, where he spent two years working as Sous Chef at Patina on Melrose Avenue. Matt truly made a mark in the culinary world in 1998, when he joined the Wolfgang Puck team, first at Spago Hollywood, then at Spago Beverly Hills where he served as Executive Sous Chef. Eventually, he assumed responsibility for developing the catering division at the company, working alongside Chef Wolfgang Puck, Designer Barbara Lazaroff, President Carl Schuster and Executive Chef Lee Hefter. Today, he continues to implement Wolfgang's vision and dedication to superior culinary standards in freshness and quality as Chef and Partner of Wolfgang Puck Catering. "Catering is a lot like a military operation: It has little room for error," Carl said. "A lot of chefs don't understand that, but Matt Bencivenga is that rare individual who does. He never misses a beat." In his current role, Matt oversees culinary operations for the company at prestigious venues nationwide, including Hollywood & Highland, the Kodak Theatre, L.A. Live, Sony Studios, and the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Matt's thorough attention to detail, commitment to excellence and grace under pressure enable him to successfully execute high-profile events in many different venues, including 2000-seat ballrooms, off-premise sporting events, and entertainment and social gatherings ranging from five to 5,000 guests. In his position, Matt inspires a dedicated team of more than 300 employees in kitchens across the nation. In the culinary world, no greater privilege is offered than working with Wolfgang, who inspires creativity, uses only the finest ingredients in his signature dishes, cultivates the best culinary talent and caters some of the most prestigious events in the world. These events include the Academy Awards Governors Ball, the Grammy Post Party Celebration, The Night Before the Emmy party, HBO's Emmy party and numerous Hollywood premieres. Matt enjoys supporting several charities and participating in many philanthropic events, including the American Cancer Society, Five Star Sensation benefiting the Cleveland Clinic, the Merryvale Orphanage catering the annual holiday party, St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels, UCLA Gastroenterology, Alt Mother's Day benefiting Homeless Mothers and Children, and the Clermont Center for Orphan Children in Haiti. Matt met his wife, Sarah, on the job, and the two were married in 2006. The couple resides in Toluca Lake with another perfect pair, Jack and Ginger, their aptly named puggles. The happy couple enjoys traveling, with recent trips to Bora Bora, Austria, England, Italy, and the Bahamas. Shortly before his 40th birthday on September 23, 2009, Matt was diagnosed with a locally advanced pancreatic cancer islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. Despite his diagnosis, Matt remains dedicated to his job, working grueling hours and maintaining a busy travel schedule for work and play. He feels immensely lucky that he had exactly the life he wanted before his cancer diagnosis and insists nothing has changed. In the last two years, Matt has continued to live life to the fullest, including inking several new tattoos, attending every major boxing match held in Las Vegas, and taking romantic trips with Sarah. Encouraged by his physician, William Isacoff, MD, Matt is committed to drawing more attention to pancreatic cancer to increase funding for research and awareness.