MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 8, 2018 – The 27th annual Party with a Purpose® hosted by Taste of the NFL, a non-profit dedicated to hunger relief, this year will be brought to you by General Mills. The event, which will be held on the eve of Super Bowl LII on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at Saint Paul RiverCentre, pairs renowned chefs from the 32 NFL cities with current, Hall of Fame, and alumni players from each of the NFL franchises as they serve over 45,000 tastings for 2,500 guests.
“As a strong advocate for hunger relief, partnering with Taste of the NFL to help end hunger by raising awareness and money is a win-win for us,” said Mary Jane Melendez, executive director of the General Mills Foundation. “At General Mills, we believe in supporting impact focused programs and initiatives – like Taste of the NFL – to reduce hunger by increasing food security in our communities.”
General Mills is also participating in Taste of the NFL’s Kick Hunger Challenge, an annual fundraising competition that encourages fans from all 32 NFL markets to raise money for their favorite NFL team’s local food bank. For every 52 donations made, the Minnesota Vikings Foundation and the General Mills Foundation will donate funds to provide an additional 552 meals to Minnesota families in need through Second Harvest Heartland.
The philanthropy of General Mills serves the world by combining charitable cash giving with the company’s food expertise and employee passion for serving communities. General Mills empowers its employees to strengthen its hometown communities worldwide through volunteerism and grant-making addressing local community needs. In addition to grants, General Mills donates millions of pounds of food each year to foodbanks across America and around the world to help feed hungry families. Since 2010, General Mills food donations have enabled more than 230 million meals for hungry people worldwide.
“We are always grateful for the commitment of our long-term supporters and are honored to have General Mills join us again this year in the fight to end hunger,” said Taste of the NFL founder Wayne Kostroski. “Our sponsors provide critical support, making Taste of the NFL’s Party with a Purpose event possible through their generosity.”
Taste of the NFL has been fundraising, maximizing dollars and heightening awareness for the hunger crisis in the U.S for 27 years. Thanks in part to the commitment of a core group of generous supporters from the world of sports, food, travel and wine, Taste of the NFL has raised over $25 million dollars for food banks and non-profit organizations in the 32 NFL cities, resulting in more than 200 million new meals for Americans in need (many of them children and seniors), who have turned to their local food banks for assistance.