Taste of the NFL – Fighting Hunger for 28 Years

While the big game has come and gone, the impact of the Taste of the NFL, held the night before the Super Bowl, will be enjoyed by food banks across the country for a long time: funds raised at the event resulted in excess of one million meals. The National Football League’s 28th annual Party with a Purpose®, held at metro Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Centre, was a star-studded fundraising event.

“We are thrilled with the success of this year’s Party with a Purpose and Kick Hunger Challenge campaign,” said Wayne Kostroski, Taste of the NFL founder. “We are proud to have reached our goal of creating one million meals for those in need, and would not have been able to do it without the support and enthusiasm of our dedicated chefs, players, sponsors and other supporters from the 32 NFL cities. On behalf of the organization, we want to extend our thanks to everyone who attended the event for their generous contributions that will provide necessary nourishment to hungry Americans.”

Notable guests included TV personality, chef and writer Andrew Zimmern; ESPN hosts Suzy Kolber and Sage Steele; TV personality Adam Richman; and Pro Football Hall of Famers Morten Andersen, Jack Youngblood, and Chris Doleman, to name just a few of the the celebrities that attended this celebratory night of eating, drinking and kicking hunger.

Since 1992, the country’s top chefs and the NFL’s greatest players have been joining together to support the fight against hunger. This year’s event brought renowned chefs from 32 NFL cities together with players and alumni to create and share incredible culinary tastings with more than 2,000 guests.

There were so many outstanding highlights from renowned chefs that it’s hard to single any out. Some of the culinary delights included: Roasted NY Strip with Truffled Parsnips and Smoked Garlic Jus, offered by Chef Kevin Rathbun, Atlanta Falcons chef representative; Smoked Gulf Fish Dip and Root Vegetable Slaw, created by Chef Adolfo Garcia, New Orleans Saints chef representative; and Smoked Trout Chowder, created by Chef Justin Aprahamian, Green Bay Packers chef representative.

Rounding out the culinary evening was a performance by award-winning country superstar Martina McBride. She has sold more than 18 million albums since her first album in 1992, and is one of the most successful names in country music.

One out of six people in this country struggle with hunger, and many of them are children and seniors. Since 1992, the Taste of the NFL’s programs and events have raised and donated in excess of $26 million to food banks and other non-profit organizations in the 32 NFL cities, resulting in more than 220 million new meals for Americans in need. The Kick Hunger Challenge is an online-only fundraising campaign, spearheaded by Taste of the NFL, that takes place during the football season, culminating with the Super Bowl eve Party with a Purpose.