Annual culinary event to celebrate 30th anniversary with top chefs and NFL stars will raise funds to fight food insecurity and feed our nation’s kids
New York, New York, Oct. 22, 2020 – The National Football League (NFL) announced today the selection of GENYOUth as its nonprofit partner for one of its largest sanctioned charity events, Taste of the NFL. Established in 1992 by Wayne Kostroski, founder of the event, Taste of the NFL will remain a purpose-driven culinary experience centered around the Super Bowl designed to raise awareness and generate funds to support hunger and food insecurity.
“GENYOUth, a long-time partner of the NFL through its Fuel Up To Play 60 and NFL FLAG-In-Schools youth health and wellness programs with America’s Dairy Farmers, has done remarkable work in raising tens of millions of dollars to feed our nation’s kids in schools across America,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President Club Business & League Events. “With their program footprint in over 73,000 U.S. schools and relentless commitment to fighting hunger among youth, GENYOUth was the ideal choice to be our nonprofit partner for Taste of the NFL.”
“GENYOUth is proud to be partnering with the NFL to take this remarkable platform to the next level with a new twist for Super Bowl LV – A Taste of the NFL at Home virtual culinary experience – to support the 1 in 4 children in America who are food insecure,” said Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth. “It is a privilege to be named by the NFL as their nonprofit partner for Taste of the NFL, which directly aligns with our organization’s mission to create healthier school communities by providing needed resources and equipment so schools can deliver healthy meals to the 30 million students who depend on school meals daily.”
“We all need to do our part to provide vital resources to the most vulnerable kids in our communities and that’s what Taste of the NFL is all about – a reminder that we cannot take one meal for granted,” said TV Host, Cookbook Author and GENYOUth board member Carla Hall, who has already raised her hand to support the event.
Celebrating its 30th Anniversary and Super Bowl legacy next February, planning is underway for Taste of the NFL 2021 with the NFL, Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee, GENYOUth and culinary experts to create what will be a dynamic, delicious, hip and virtual “Taste of the NFL at Home” event for NFL and foodie fans. This new event format reflects COVID-19 health and safety guidance provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NFL and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee.
“Hosted by Emmy award-winning chefs, NFL players, celebrities and influencers from NFL club markets, I know from first-hand experience that guests will enjoy an incredible interactive experience that is guaranteed to satisfy your appetite to do good, eat well and make a true difference in helping to feed our nation’s kids,” said Andrew Zimmern, award-winning TV personality, chef and veteran Taste of the NFL Culinary Host. Added renowned Texas chef and restaurant owner Tim Love, “I am so excited to be a part of the Taste of the NFL at Home event and believe we can all play an important role in tackling food insecurity – I am ready to cook for good!”
“We are excited to work with the NFL and Business Connect purpose-driven companies and brands who are stepping up, and leading the way, by working together to help fight food insecurity in the wake of the pandemic,” said Maureen Bausch, GENYOUth Chief Development and Partnership Officer, and former CEO of the Minneapolis Super Bowl LII Host Committee. “With the 30thAnniversary of the Taste of the NFL, we have an opportunity to reimagine and elevate this storied platform around the Super Bowl LV in Tampa next year, and in Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI in 2022. We look forward to working with the NFL and its partners to help support the fight against hunger among our nation’s youth.”
For more information, email info@genyouthnow.org
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About Taste of the NFL
Since 1992, and every year since, Taste of the NFL has teamed up with many of the country’s top chefs and creatively partnered them with the NFL’s greatest players to raise money in support of food banks and food insecurity efforts throughout the United States. To date, Taste of the NFL programs and events have raised and donated millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity in Super Bowl Host cities and the 32 NFL Club markets, providing more than an estimated 220 million meals for Americans in need. Taste of the NFL brings together exceptional cuisine, prominent chefs and food influencers from around the country, NFL players, coaches, legends and fresh ideas, all to support the fight against hunger. Learn more about Taste of the NFL at www.genyouthnow.org.
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that creates healthier school communities. We convene a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations, to raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that give youth the inspiration, motivation and programs to be healthy high-achieving students. GENYOUth’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, enrolls over 73,000 U.S. schools, reaching over 38 million students. Our school nutrition grants increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. NFL FLAG-In-School is GENYOUth’s fastest growing program with over 20,000+ school communities reaching over 11 million students while AdVenture Capital brings out the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of students with the support of corporate mentors to solve real world problems. For more information about GENYOUth, visit www.genyouthnow.org.
About Business Connect
Super Bowl LV Business Connect program is a partnership between the National Football League and the Super Bowl LV Tampa Host Committee. Business Connect has two primary goals: (1) to link diverse Tampa suppliers to contracting opportunities related to Super Bowl LV and (2) provide professional networking and development programming for all member businesses. For the purpose of full disclosure – Suppliers participating in the Business Connect program are not guaranteed to be awarded work with Super Bowl LV, the Host Committee or the NFL. Suppliers are guaranteed full access to the program’s development opportunities.