The 10th Annual Ultimate Tailgate Party to Benefit Lovin’ Spoonfuls Goes Virtual

Boston-based food rescue Lovin’ Spoonfuls will host their 10th annual Ultimate Tailgate Party online this year on Wednesday, Nov. 18. The virtual program will begin at 7 p.m., and features a timely keynote on the intersection of food justice and racial equity from Wes Moore, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation.

For the first time in the event’s history, tickets to Tailgate are free, however registration is required and can be done here or by visiting LovinSpoonfulsInc.org. TV personality, chef, social justice advocate and Lovin’ Spoonfuls Culinary Panel member Andrew Zimmern returns as this year’s master of ceremonies. In addition to a musical performance from Lake Street Dive, Spoonfuls will also debut its new video highlighting the efforts of frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Since 2010, our Ultimate Tailgate Party has attracted thousands of guests and dozens of the area’s best restaurants, all in the name of raising money and awareness for Spoonfuls,” says Ashley Stanley, founder and executive director of Lovin’ Spoonfuls. “For the safety of all our guests, employees and vendors, this year’s Ultimate Tailgate will take the same lively spirit of our largest annual event online, and I’m confident we’ll replicate the same energy and enthusiasm it creates every year. We know that this year has taken a financial and emotional toll on everyone and are grateful to Wes Moore and Lake Street Dive for joining our 2020 program. Though not physically together with our friends in hospitality this year, we remain grateful for them and are committed to supporting them anyway we can, and making sure they stay healthy and focused on their businesses.”

Leading one of the largest anti-poverty forces in the nation, Wes Moore is also a New York Times bestselling author, combat veteran, and social entrepreneur. Wes’ first book, The Other Wes Moore, captured the nation’s attention on the fine line between success and failure in communities and in ourselves. Wes’ latest book, Five Days, explores the uprisings in Baltimore in 2015 after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody, through a kaleidoscope of perspectives and examines critical questions about the deeper course of violence and poverty.

Various donation opportunities will also be available during the Virtual Ultimate Tailgate Party. Proceeds raised during the event will enable Spoonfuls’ ongoing efforts to rescue an average of 75,000-80,000 pounds of fresh, healthy food per week and distribute it to organizations across the Commonwealth that serve people facing food insecurity. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Senior Director of Development, Erin Keohane. 

“By making admission to Tailgate complimentary this year, it allows Spoonfuls to engage with both our larger community as well as with new supporters – people from all over who have never had the chance to attend this event in person – to discuss the importance of food rescue and food insecurity, while also highlighting all of the organization’s accomplishments during a turbulent year,” says Erin Keohane, Lovin’ Spoonfuls Senior Director of Development. “It is our hope that this year’s Tailgate program will bring some light to everyone’s week and inspire attendees to support Spoonfuls’ continued work throughout the Commonwealth.”

Since 2010, Lovin’ Spoonfuls has rescued and distributed over 18 million pounds of fresh, healthy food – the equivalent of more than 15 million meals. Driven by a passion for change, Ashley Stanley established Spoonfuls after realizing hunger isn’t a problem of supply, it’s a problem of distribution. Since the start of the COVID pandemic, Spoonfuls has rescued nearly 3 million pounds of food, as well as onboarded 20 new beneficiary partners and launched a new permanent eighth route in response to the rising need. About 14 percent of partners rely on Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ deliveries for all of the food they serve their clients.

To learn more about Lovin’ Spoonfuls and the 10th Annual Ultimate Tailgate, or to donate to the organization, please visit lovinspoonfulsinc.org. For the latest updates and events, join Lovin’s mailing list or follow on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Each week day, Spoonfuls’ 12 Food Rescue Coordinators work with over 200 vendor partners across eight truck routes to pick up wholesome, perishable food from grocery stores, produce wholesalers, farms and farmers markets, and distribute it to more than 160 community nonprofits that address food insecurity in Greater Boston, MetroWest and Western Massachusetts. Communities served include: Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Revere and others.

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