Carla Gambescia Launches 3rd Annual "Dogs in Party Hats" Competition & Fundraiser in New York

Sept. 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Mount Kisco, New York  --- September 19th marks the start of National Dog Week this year giving dog lovers a good reason to celebrate "man’s best friend" in festive and creative ways. Carla Gambescia, Owner and Culinary Director at Via Vanti! Restaurant in Mount Kisco, New York, selected this day to launch the third annual Dogs in Party Hats (DiPH) contest and fundraiser benefiting Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Twelve winners will receive a year’s supply of award winning Via Vanti! gelato, the contemporary Italian restaurant and wine bar offer 18 flavors daily (voted "best" in New York) including a featured  "Flavor of the Month" inspired by winning DiPH contestants. Winners will also be promoted year round on the "Party Dog Wall of Fame" at the restaurant.

To enter online, submit a photo of your "party pooch" and their gelato flavor description through the DiPH web site: (www.dogsinpartyhats.com), winners are chosen based on three criteria; creativity, taste and photo fit to description.

The entry fee is $20.00 with 100% of the proceeds going to Guiding Eyes, the contest deadline is December 4th followed by the announcement of winning entries in January 2012.

For more information please visit: (www.dogsinpartyhats.com). Volunteer opportunities are available; students looking to become “Dogs in Party Hat” ambassadors will receive a free pint of gelato for every 10 contestants they sign up.

Interviews with Via Vanti! Owner/Culinary Director, Carla Gambescia and members of the Guiding Eyes for the Blind staff are available upon request. Photos from last year’s winners are also available upon request.


About Via Vanti!: Via Vanti! is an innovative Italian Dining and Engaging Cultural Discovery Venue. Owner and Culinary Director, Carla Gambescia believes that all of us, regardless of our inherited ethnicities, share an “inner Italian” – that part of our nature which is most expressive, festive, spontaneous and fun is just waiting to be unlocked. Carla has designed the Via Vanti! experience to be the “key” that unlocks her guests’ “inner Italian” both through her breakthrough and highly praised “improvisational Italian” fare and her dynamic program of cultural, community and charitable engagement. (www.viavanti.com)

About Guiding Eyes: Guiding Eyes is an internationally accredited, nonprofit guide dog school with over 50 years of providing the blind and visually impaired with Guiding Eyes dogs, training, and lifetime support services. This nonprofit also provides for the training of canine companions for autistic children through the Heeling Autism program. (www.guidingeyes.org)