30,000 Pounds Of Leftover Food From Super Bowl LIV Donated To Florida Shelters
There may be many sporting events throughout the year but the one that tends to catch our attention more than any other is the Superbowl. It is the most-watched event on television, and people across the United States and around the world make sure they are in their seats when the big game begins.
This year, some 62,000 people were on hand at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Feb 2nd for the big event. As you can imagine, there was a lot of food being served during the festivities. Even though that was the case, there were still about 30,000 pounds of food that were not touched during that event. They could have thrown the food away, but they decided to do something better.
Food Rescue US, the food recovery leader in the US, has partnered with Centerplate and NFL Green. They had a singular plan: Take the leftover food from the events surrounding the Superbowl and send it to those in need around Miami.
According to ESPN, some of the food collected included beef tenderloins, barbecue chicken, wings, ribs, and charcuterie plates. Five shelters around Miami were the recipients of the donated food from the Superbowl.
“With the scale of an event like the Super Bowl, we always prepare plenty of food, and I’m pleased to continue our partnership with Food Rescue US – Miami to deliver any surplus to local social service agencies feeding the hungry in our community,” said Chef Dayanny de la Cruz, Executive Chef of Centerplate at Hard Rock Stadium, according to Food Rescue. “Our Centerplate team is proud to give back to the communities we serve and to ensure that the meals we create can also support those in need, thanks to the efforts of the volunteer food rescue teams.”
The number of people who suffer from food insecurity is surprising. In Florida, the number stands at one in 7, according to the CEO of Food Rescue US, Carol Shattuck.
“Through our work with Centerplate and NFL Green, we can make sure excess food from Hard Rock Stadium and the Miami Beach Convention Center helps to feed individuals and families throughout Miami, while also not contributing to the growing food waste crisis in the U.S,” Shattuck said.
The Superbowl events yielded tens of thousands of pounds of unused foods. Rather than throwing it into the landfill, which would create methane gas and add to global warming, they salvaged it and donated it.
ESPN reported that Ellen Bowen, Food Rescue US Miami director, said that this was the first of this type of recovery program done at the Superbowl.
