DANBURY, CONN. — “Love Wins! A Celebration of Food and Music to Benefit the Ana Grace Project and The Ana Grace Márquez – Greene Scholarship Fund at WCSU” will be on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in the Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC) on the Western Connecticut State University Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. The public is invited. For tickets, go to www.eventbrite.com/o/visual-and-performing-arts-center-at-western-connecticut-state-university-6275173871.

The event will feature internationally recognized French chef, television personality and author Jacques Pépin; Grammy Award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling; 2010 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master pianist Kenny Barron; bassist John Patitucci; drummer Lewis Nash and WCSU Coordinator of Jazz Studies Jimmy Greene on saxophone. It is being hosted by the WCSU Department of Music.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. with a wine and cheese reception in the VPAC lobby. During the reception, Pépin will participate in a question-and-answer session. At 8 p.m., Elling, Barron, Patitucci, Nash and Greene will perform in the VPAC Veronica Hagman Concert Hall. Immediately following the concert, Pépin will sign his book, “Jacques Pépin Heart & Soul in the Kitchen”; wine expert and author Claudine Pépin will sign her book, “Kids Cook French”; and Greene will sign copies of his CD, “Beautiful Life,” during a light dessert reception.

The Ana Grace Project was created in the aftermath of the Dec. 14, 2012, shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. The organization’s mission is to “promote love, community and connection for every child and family.” Ana Grace was the beloved daughter of Jimmy Greene and Nelba Márquez-Greene, and younger sister of devoted brother, Isaiah.

The Ana Grace Márquez – Greene Scholarship Fund at WCSU also was created after Dec. 14, 2012. Its purpose is to fund four-year scholarships at Western for music students, since Ana “loved her God, loved to read the Bible and loved to sing and dance as acts of worship,” according to her father.

“I’m humbled by the caring and generosity of the Pépins, the WCSU community and these amazing musicians in donating their time and talents for this event,” Greene said. “It will truly be an honor to take the stage with Kurt, Kenny, John and Lewis on what I’m certain will be a powerful night full of great music, great food and love.”

For more information about the Ana Grace Project, visit http://anagraceproject.org/.

For more information about the Ana Grace Márquez – Greene Scholarship Fund at WCSU, go to www.wcsu.edu/ia/greene-scholarship.asp.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.