Astonishment is evident as Stephan C. Baity reflects on his journey from a youth in northeast and southeast Canton neighborhoods to a celebrity chef and renowned fruit-and-vegetable sculptor.
Wonder turns to pride when he speaks not of his own adversity but that of his late father, Stephan Baity, who overcame the demons of drug and alcohol addiction. Somehow the light shined in the midst of darkness, said the younger Baity, a 1998 McKinley High School graduate.
That s why Baity s involvement in the April 29 Quest Cooks fundraising event has personal meaning. The event is on behalf of CommQuest, which provides recovery services for mental illness, anxiety, depression and drug and alcohol addiction, as well as school-based mental health services.