'Cake Man Raven' seeks Lynchburg's top model

By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
rburns@theitem.com

LYNCHBURG – One of Lynchburg's most famous native sons is returning to provide support for the 2009 Magnolia Festival scheduled for May 1-2.

Patrick Dennis, also know as "Cake Man Raven," will be in town early to lend his hand to a modeling and casting call for the festival's May 2 fashion show.

The casting call will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Teen Center on Magnolia Street in Lynchburg.

"If you think you are South Carolina's top model, then we want to see you on Monday," Dennis said.

Dennis and staff with the Brooklyn Fashion Show will be seeking 10 males and 10 females to participate in the Festival Fashion Show scheduled for 2 p.m. following the parade. The winner of the fashion show will receive an all expense paid trip to New York in the fall to participate in a fall fashion show, Dennis said.

Dennis graduated from Mount Pleasant High School and went on to make a name for himself as a culinary artist to the stars, including Bill Cosby, Jay-Z, Katie Couric, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Freeman and Jesse Jackson. He has been featured in national magazines and on "The View," "Good Morning America" and The Food Network, and he has his own successful show in Brooklyn

Dennis is also working with Magnolia Festival Committee Member Luren Duren and Mayor Thompson Isaac to organize a gospel show for the festival's opening night on May 1.

"We are going to have some gospel acts from Brooklyn for the festival," he said. "Right now, we want to get the word out about the fashion show and the modeling and casting call in Lynchburg on Monday."

For more information on the career of "The Cake Man," visit the Web site: www.cakemanraven.com.



Contact Staff Writer Randy Burns at rburns@theitem.com or (803) 491-4533.