fellow at the University of Minnesota Medical Center Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. After completing his fellowship, he returned to Los Angeles and began his private practice.
It is said that Dr. Parrott was always on the lookout for gems of people with potential that he could assist in building a better life. His generosity and insistence on developing a platform for emerging ethnic minority leaders in medicine had a solid base which he developed over the years. Real Men Cook was an example of Dr. Parrott’ s talent for recognizing the value of bringing together diverse parts of the community in a unified cause while having fun.
Even by today’ s standards, Real Men Cook was something to talk about. By creating a colorful event that featured an attraction that appeals to everyone, in this case great food that included many dishes familiar to attendees, as well as exotic delicacies from around the world, Dr. Parrott’ s ability to showcase his imagination and flair was a thing of genius.
The videos that Dr. Parrott commissioned to showcase and promote the events were both historic and memorable for a variety of reasons. There is every indication that such a unique type of cause-related activity will be hard to duplicate ever again. There is the appealing visual look and the actual taste of the food. The event was staged in donated space at an appropriate venue such as the LA Airport Hilton.
Real Men Cook was a competition, with professional culinary experts in the form of executive chefs serving as judges. As a“ quasi-friendly” competition, there was plenty of opportunity for camaraderie and plenty of smack-talking about whose food was the tastiest.
The participants were a multi-ethnic assemblage. Many of their food choices were tributes to the motherland, be it Dakar, New Orleans, or Paris, Texas. a passion for spending many days – or months – preparing for the big event. Individuals with a unique spin on a culinary favorite were always part of the fun. In 1993, Real Women Cook made it to the stage through Dr. Parrott’ s careful nurturing hands.
The spectacle was a tremendous networking opportunity. Celebrities and civic leaders were there. The beautiful, glamorous people were attracted by Real Men Cook’ s underlying mission, as well as the event format and the crowds. Dr. Parrott’ s flair and vision created wholesome – yet alluring sideshows. You could hear fabulous live music, purchase wearable items, and connect with lifelong new best friends.
In the middle of the party, uncertain reality reared its fateful head. Dr. Parrott was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1994. By that time, his Foundation was on its way to raising many hundreds of thousands of dollars primarily on behalf of ethnic minority medical students.
With a shrewd eye and being relentless in his mission and purpose, Dr. Parrott pivoted from the live events. This enterprising visionary created a new platform in establishing the Real Men Cook Foundation Center for Early Detection of Prostate Cancer.
It was Dr. Parrott’ s belief that early detection of prostate cancer and general prostate cancer education and awareness is the most significant achievement of the various real Men Cook iterations.“ We have provided screening for over 50,000 minority men, 500 monthly, with many lives saved,” he observed.“ Today, I still have men come up to me and say,‘ you saved my life’.”
All hail our fallen hero. You sleep in the celestial company of the great giants of humanity.
As a physician, it was Dr. Parrott’ s interest to highlight the value of healthy eating choices as much as the color, flavor, and flair that were perennial drawing cards. By 1991, close to 2,000 eager eaters were in attendance. Over the years, a whole cadre of regular attendees showed up wearing some of the most eyepopping attire imaginable.
All walks of life were represented in the ranks of the cooks. Most contestants were amateurs with
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 15