Chef’s legacy lives on with another donation to CFCC Foundation

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — In life Michael McGowan was known as an award-winning chef and family man. More than six years since his death, his legacy lives on, as friends help contribute to students who share his passion for food.

Cape Fear Community College Foundation says it received more than $1,855 from the Pleasure Island Revitalization Association. The gift came from the proceeds of the 6th Annual Michael McGowan Co-Ed Softball Tournament in Carolina Beach held October 4 and 5.

“We are grateful for this contribution and inspired by the generosity of Pleasure Island Revitalization Association to make a lasting tribute to beloved Michael McGowan in a way that makes dreams attainable for so many here at Cape Fear Community College,” Cape Fear Community College Foundation Executive Director Veronica Godwin said in a news release.

McGowan, founder of Michael’s Seafood in Carolina Beach, died in 2012 after a long fight with cystic fibrosis at age 46.

Since 2013, the Pleasure Island Revitalization Association has supported Cape Fear Community College culinary arts students through the Michael McGowan Endowed Scholarship. The scholarship was established in memory of McGowan by his wife Shelly and friends Carol and Mac Montgomery. To date, the group has donated more than $13,000. CFCC says that brings the total donated to the endowed scholarship fund over $30,500.

“This year’s tournament was an outstanding success benefitting the Michael McGowan Scholarship Fund at Cape Fear Community College and the recreational programs offered in the Town of Carolina Beach,” Mac Montgomery said in a statement. “We are confident these gifts will help students realize their goals as a future part of our community.”