The 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show Exhibitors donated 41,710 meals to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD).
The National Restaurant Association announced its 2012 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, hosted May 5 through 8, donated its surplus food to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD).
More than 41,710 meals had been donated by them to the food depository.
“Donating surplus food from the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is a long-time tradition we are proud to uphold,” said Jack Crawford, convention chair for the NRA Show 2012 and president and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative LLC. “The generosity of our exhibiting companies this year is amazing, as the number of meals donated this year exceeded the number of meals donated last year by nearly 5,000.”
Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, said her company is grateful to have the NRA and Show exhibitors donate each year.
“These donations are especially important, as we serve 77% more people than we did four years ago,” Maehr said.
The NRA Show 2012 exhibitors donated 55,614 pounds of nutritious food product, which provided about 42,000 meals for men, women and children in need throughout the Chicago area. The donated food was distributed through a network of more than 600 qualified GCFD member agencies, which include pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, day care centers and senior living facilities.
The annual NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. The NRA Show 2013 will be hosted May 18 through 21 at the McCormick Place in Chicago. For more information, visit the Show website at www.restaurant.org/show.