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"Cookin' With Congress" DSRTF Fundraiser Raises Money for Down Syndrome Research
May 4 , 2005

Congressman Pete Sessions (center) with celebrity chef Matt Martinez (right) and his wife, Estella

Congressman Chris Cannon (R-Utah) (left), and Congressman Charles Bass (R-NH) (right), dress for the occasion as they demonstrate the fine art of Tex-Mex cooking.

On May 4, 2005, DSRTF sponsored its first annual fundraising event in Washington, D.C. with
Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas serving as the Honorary Chairman and 28 members of Congress serving as co-hosts of the event.

The event – aptly named “Cookin’ With Congress” -- showcased celebrity chef, Matt Martinez, Jr., a fourth generation Tex-Mex chef who has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN. Matt owns several restaurants in Texas, including the successful Matt’s Rancho Martinez and Matt’s No Place, both located in Dallas. Matt demonstrated his unique “prairie-style” cooking to the gathering of guests and congressional VIPs, and a few lawmakers donned aprons and joined in the cooking!

Special thanks goes to Congressman Pete Sessions, who served as Honorary Chairman of the event, and the congressional hosts of the event: Senators Richard Burr, John Cornyn, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Representatives Joe Barton, Charlie Bass, John Boehner, Henry Bonilla, Jeb Bradley, Kevin Brady, Chris Cannon, Chris Cox, Tom Davis, Tom DeLay, David Dreier, Kay Granger, Ric Keller, Jerry Lewis, John Linder, Kenny Marchant, Jim Nussle, Mike Oxley, Deborah Pryce, Tom Reynolds, John Shadegg, John Sweeney, Lee Terry, Todd Tiahrt and Dave Weldon.

DSRTF also would like to thank the following sponsors and generous contributors: SBC Services, Inc., MBNA, Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine, Altria Group, Inc., American Airlines, AstraZeneca, Brinker International, Connie and Tip Tipton, Dean Foods Company, DRS Technologies, Inc., Ernst & Young,
Golden Rule Insurance Company, MCI, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Medco Health Solutions,
Inc., Microsoft, Northrup Grumman, Textron, Inc., TIAA-CREF, TXU, Verizon, VISA U.S.A., Time Warner Telecom, Covad Communications, Texas Industries, Cash America International, Inc., EDS, Sprint,
United Parcel Service, and Jefferson Group Government Relations.

All proceeds from the event will fund Down syndrome cognition research. DSRTF thanks all those who helped make the first annual DSRTF “Cookin’ With Congress” fundraiser a huge success!