Taste of the NFL Raises $10K for Newport Hunger Programs

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Friday, August 12, 2011

GoLocalProv Features Team

When the NFL goes in for a kick, and the object is hunger, everyone comes out a winner.

And this week, the winners were in Newport. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center of Newport received a $10,000 donation from Taste of the NFL to support the Community Center's efforts to combat hunger in Newport County. Newport County's largest food pantry serves more than 1,000 households.

The Newport connection

This year, each person on the Taste of the NFL's Board of Directors was given the opportunity to select a local hunger relief organization of their choice to receive a donation. Christopher E. Clouser, who serves as Chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and as a director for Taste of the NFL, made the funds available to the Hall of Fame to distribute, and as a result, the donation was allocated to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center.

"Thanks to the generosity of Taste of the NFL, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is pleased to be able to support our neighbors here in Newport," said Clouser. "Every little bit can help, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center does a tremendous job of carefully converting donations to maximize food for the hungry. They do tremendous and vitally important work, and we are proud to support this effort." 

The only daily meal site in Newport

In addition to being the largest food pantry in Newport County, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center offers a Breakfast Program which is the only daily meal site in Newport. In the summer, the pantry provides clients with fresh produce. Last summer, more than 35,000 pounds of fresh produce were distributed to approximately 225 families. During the holiday season, the Center distributes holiday meal baskets, with last year's distribution providing 13,124 meals. About 70% of the food available in the pantry comes from food drives and local donations.
 
Marilyn Warren, executive director for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center commented, "No one should have to choose between rent and food, or medicine and food, or heat and food but, sadly, many in Newport County face that struggle. Generous donations like this help us to solve that dilemma for many people. We extend our gratitude to Taste of the NFL for spear-heading such a widespread and generous program, and to our neighbors at the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum for selecting the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center."

Taste of the NFL

Founded in 1992 by Wayne Kostroski, the Minneapolis-based Taste of the NFL raises awareness and money for hunger relief organizations involved in kicking hunger in America through special events and programs. Their signature event is the Taste of the NFL's Party With A Purpose, which takes place each year on the eve of the Super Bowl. At the event, 32 of the finest chefs from around the country (one from each NFL city) serve up their signature specialties alongside a current, Hall of Fame, or alumni player from each of the NFL teams, with 100% of the event's proceeds going to support local and national hunger organizations. Since its inception, the Taste of the NFL has distributed in excess of $11 million.

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