Chef Robert Irvine to host Saint Joseph’s University food fundraiser

Saint Joseph's University will get add some star power to its Academy of Food Marketing fundraising, courtesy of celebrity chef Robert Irvine.

Irvine will host St. Joe's 2017 fundraiser benefiting the university's Food Marketing Educational Foundation. It is Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 p.m. at the Philadelphia Navy Yard's Fretz Kitchen Showroom. Tickets are $149 each, and are currently available.

Guests can look forward to a retail cooking competition, food samples, cooking demonstrations, and guided wine and food pairings, among other activities. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Food Marketing Educational Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on student scholarships.

Organizers expect this year's event to draw 200 attendees; 2015's event drew a similarly sized crowd that raised more than $10,000, according to a release.

Irvine, known for Food Network programs such as Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible, hosted the fundraiser in 2015. The chef currently hosts The Robert Irvine Show on weekdays on The CW.