– Eat. Drink. End Hunger. October 15 – 18, 2015 –
New York, NY (September 22, 2015) – As Hunger Action Month comes to a close nationwide next week, the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (NYCWFF) extends the Hunger Action Month efforts of Food Bank For New York City and No Kid Hungry® during the month of October by hosting over 100 events throughout New York City October 15-18, with 100% of its net proceeds benefiting both organizations. The Festival has raised $8.5 million to date to help end hunger in New York City and across America.
“The very foundation of NYCWFF to help raise awareness and funds to help end hunger,” notes Festival Founder and Director Lee Brian Schrager, who also serves as Vice President of Corporate Communications & National Events for Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. “No one, at any age, anywhere, should ever go to bed hungry.”
More than 48 million Americans, including over 16 million children, suffer from food insecurity. The month of September, known as Hunger Action Month, is a collaborative nationwide effort to help drive awareness and raise much needed funds to help end hunger. In New York City alone, 1.5 million people rely on Food Bank For New York City and its citywide network of charities.
“Food Bank For New York City is honored to once again partner with NYCWFF and the extraordinary chefs and individuals who have made ending hunger a top priority,” said Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City. “As a leader in the city’s anti-hunger response, we are committed to ensuring a better understanding of hunger’s reality and an improved response to ending it. NYCWFF brings us closer to that reality.”
Food Bank For New York City issued a call for all New Yorkers to get involved and take action in support of the 1.5 million New Yorkers struggling to put food on the table by hosting virtual food drives (VFD), participating in Warehouse Wednesdays and Family Repack Day at their warehouse and distribution center, and lighting the city orange for their 10th annual Go Orange To End Hunger™ campaign; as did Bank of America and Delta Air Lines Terminal Tower at JFK Airport on September 17 for Go Orange Awareness Day.
All month long, No Kid Hungry has encouraged consumers to Dine Out For No Kid Hungry™. The annual fundraiser brings together thousands of restaurants and millions of consumers to help raise funds and awareness to help end childhood hunger. The program, launched the same year as NYCWFF in 2008, has raised more than $28 million to help end childhood hunger in America.
“Thanks to the critical funds raised through programs like Dine Out for No Kid Hungry and events like the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival, No Kid Hungry is making a huge difference in the lives of the 16 million American children struggling with hunger,” said Billy Shore, Share Our Strength’s CEO and founder. “Since the campaign’s launch, we’ve connected kids in need with over 345 million more meals, but there is still work to be done. Hunger is a solvable issue, and this month, we’re showing people how easy it is to be a part of the solution.”
The Festival encourages everyone to continue the fight to end hunger this fall. With its main culinary campus located at Piers 92 & 94 overlooking the Hudson River, the Festival offers a variety of new and signature events to indulge in for a good cause, including:
- Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite featuring Samsung® Culinary Demonstrations presented by MasterCard®, featuring the Wine GEMS Collection Room presented by Wine Spectator
- Giada De Laurentiis’ Italian Feast presented by Ronzoni sponsored by the New York Post
- Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray
- Jets + Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate hosted by Joe Namath and Mario Batali
- The Art of Tiki: A Cocktail Showdown presented by Cocktail Kingdom hosted by Emeril Lagasse.
- Meatopia presented by Creekstone Farms hosted by Michael Symon
Intimate dinners featuring celebrated chefs like Rainer Becker, April Bloomfield, Ashley Christensen, Amanda Cohen, Gerard Craft, Markus Glocker, Gabrielle Hamilton, Charles Phan, Alex Raij, Mads Refslund, Justin Smillie, Bill Telepan, and more make up the Festival’s illustrious Bank of America Dinner Series taking place throughout the weekend. Additionally, a creatively curated sequence of educational seminars and themed tastings comprise the LOCAL presented by Delta Air Lines series, accented by a variety of options which are a part of Mohegan Sun’s Late Night Party Series.
Join the Festival at these events, and many more, during the month of October to help Eat. Drink. End Hunger. with Food Bank For New York City and No Kid Hungry®. Tickets are available online atnycwff.org or by calling 866.969.2933 (phone sales open 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST).
###
About the Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE
The Food Network & Cooking Channel New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE is hosted by and benefits Food Bank For New York City and No Kid Hungry®, with 100% of the Festival’s net proceeds helping fight hunger. Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is the exclusive provider of wine and spirits at the Festival. In September 2015, BizBash named the Festival the #3 Food & Restaurant Industry event in the United States for the third year in a row. More information on the Festival can be found at nycwff.org.
About Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City has been the city’s major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 63 million free meals for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City’s income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $100 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. In addition, Food Bank’s nutrition education programs and services empower more than 275,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet on a low budget. To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org.
About No Kid Hungry®
No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 5 kids will face hunger this year. Using proven, practical solutions, No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger today by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. When we all work together, we can make sure kids get the healthy food they need. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.