SPC Students Exhibit in Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

THE BESPOKE BIRTHDAY CAKES OF TWO ST. PHILIP'S COLLEGE HOSPITALITY STUDENT TEAMS ARE NOW ON EXHIBIT AT RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! SAN ANTONIO AFTER BOTH TEAMS SWEEP ODDEST CAKE CONTEST DURING SAN ANTONIO RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! ODDITORIUM 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Creating high-end specialty birthday cakes on short notice for a world-renown literary and entertainment industry client paid off handsomely while making college history for two teams of St. Philip's College hospitality students this week. The students won both of the cash prizes up for grabs in the San Antonio Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium 30th anniversary observance June 21-25 at 301 Alamo Plaza.

Their one-of-a-kind cakes go on display in the Odditorium all of next week, making them the first at the college---and one of an elite in the world---to have works of art on exhibit in a Ripley's collection.

While a few St. Philip's College hospitality professions students and faculty helped the Jim Pattison Company that is Canada's second-largest privately held company celebrate 30 years of performance excellence behind the scenes, a few hospitality program students also put their skills to the test as contestants and exhibitors at one of Texas' most touristed destinations.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! can source its attractions and partners from anywhere it chooses worldwide. The Ripley's footprint of iconic attractions in San Antonio's Alamo Plaza has grown since 1988 to include a Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium, a Louis Tussaud's WaxWorks, a 4D Moving Theater and a gift shop that have been visited by millions. Central to 2018's observance of excellence was a new cake attraction that engaged Ripley's San Antonio with corporate hospitality experts at the college located three miles east. Ripley's San Antonio management engaged behind the scenes, food and beverage and exhibition skill sets of the college's students for the birthday project. As Ripley's San Antonio prepared its first-ever Oddest Cake Contest with college chef instructor Cynthia DeLa Fuente on their team of creative insiders, students at the college were on-site supporting the Ripley's vision---at work with their skill sets in advance and on the day of the contest with Chef DeLa Fuente on a dream project.

Those students were also in their baking labs at the college, competitively preparing the 100 percent edible, 100 percent odd and 100 percent cool custom-made confections that would eventually wow the judges and win or nearly win the title of Oddest Cake. With roughly 48 hours' notice, students researched, executed and prepared for judgement on their creativity, originality and presentation of the Ripley's brand before midday on June 21 at the Ripley's San Antonio Louis Tussaud's Wax Works.

Cash prizes for first place ($1,000) and second place ($400) went to St. Philip's College pastry and baking program students Lizbeth Avila and Jesse Chavarria of Team Freakshow and students Amber Gloria and Leah Rios of Team Fun and Games respectively. The student contestants also received a six-pack of tickets to the Ripley's San Antonio attractions. Along with an "Odd Cake," each participant team gives back by baking a complimentary sheet cake or cupcakes. Those confections will be served to guests during public birthday celebration events featuring free live performances by Red the Clown and Friends June 22-23 in the Wax Works Lobby hourly from noon-3 p.m.

Guests come to Ripley's expecting nothing less than the best of the odd and informative, and every element of the observance experience from the bespoke cakes to the confections supports the perfectionist theme and fun that is Ripley's---with a bit of assistance from the students at St. Philip's College. The birthday of success at one of the highest levels within the Ripley's universe continues next week with an additional victory lap for the winning student teams. While their cakes are part of the rotation of displays in the Odditorium next week, Avila, Chavarria, Gloria and Rios might return with friends and family to see their works of art, proudly created at their college.

Find event details online at http://www.ripleyentertainment.com/ripleys-san-antonio-celebrates-30-years-oddest-cake-contest/. Find history on the Odditorium in San Antonio at the June 20 Ripley's web report Odd Cakes Come to Ripley's San Antonio 30th Anniversary!. (Contestimages are courtesy SPC by Julysa Sosa)