Media Releases For North Texas Food Bank

Empty Bowls Results Are In!

Amanda O'Neal — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:28:00 GMT

Empty Bowls presented by Tom Thumb What kind of impact can you make when you combine 26 amazing restaurants, 15 generous sponsors and donors, 50 gracious volunteers and our wonderful and talented potters and wood turners, led by John & Darlene Williams? More than half a million meals to North Texans in need! (578,679 meals to be exact) Empty Bowls 2008 drew a crowd of over 1,500 guests that enjoyed a delicious lunch while raising $115,735 for the North Texas Food Bank. Thank you to all who supported our signature luncheon. We would like to give our sincere thanks to: Restaurants: Opus at the Meyerson, Celebration Market and Restaurant, Dave & Buster’s, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Great Harvest Bread Co., Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, NTFB Community Kitchen, The Grill on the Alley, Pantry Organics/Suze, Sodexho/Children’s Medical Center, Tom Thumb, Strong’s Everyday Tavern, The Landmark Restaurant, Paciugo Gelato, Food Glorious Food, Blue Goose Cantina, JD’s Chippery, la Madeleine Bakery, Café and Bistro, Winn Meat Company, Blue Mesa Grill, Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern, Panera Bread, Dallas Fish Market, Greenz, salads for z’ adventurous, and Cabot Cheese Drum Roll Please….the 2008 People’s Choice Award goes to Sodexho’s Northwest Clam Chowder! Sponsors: Presenting Patron Tom Thumb; Benefactors: Bennigan’s, Dave & Buster’s, EDS, Lockheed Martin, Grant Thornton and VHA; Supporters: Post Properties, Green Grass Studios and Mullis Newby Hurst Donors: WFAA, WBAP, City Color, Urban Flowers and Fun Factory Events We hope you will join us next year, save the date Friday, February 20, 2009. Thank you for furthering our mission to pursue a hunger-free community and for helping to fill the bowls of so many North Texas families and individuals in need!

Sample Great Food And Support Hunger Relief At The 9th Annual "Empty Bowls"

Amanda O'Neal — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:40:36 GMT

January 7, 2008

Sample Great Food And Support Hunger Relief At The 9th Annual "Empty Bowls"

North Texas Food Bank Event Slated for February 22, 2008

(Dallas, Texas, January 7, 2008) – Imagine a bowl of steaming Grilled-Corn Bisque. Or New Mexico Squash Soup. Or even Callebaut Chocolate Soup with Port-Braised Strawberries! Come try them all, plus other delicacies from 25 restaurants and top food purveyors, at Empty Bowls, the lunch event considered one of the best values in town! For $25 in advance or $30 at the door, discerning diners can sample soups, breads and desserts from some of North Texas’ best restaurants, plus select a handmade bowl created by an area artisan and listen to fantastic classical music.

Join us at the 9th annual Empty Bowls Presented by Tom Thumb, scheduled for February 22, 2008, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in downtown Dallas.

The spectacularly popular event has grown every year since its creation in 1999. In 2007, 1,300 people attended, raising nearly $90,000. “Each year the amazing talents of these artisans and chefs fill the bowls of hungry North Texans. With the demand for food up by 17 percent, this support comes at no greater time,” said Jan Pruitt, CEO of the North Texas Food Bank.

Each diner will be able to select a handcrafted bowl from outstanding regional potters and wood turners as a stunning memento of the day. Some attendees have an array of bowls collected since the first event in 1999.

Music will be provided by the noted Young Strings of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Photo Opportunities: Artisans “throwing” pots at the pottery wheel, Chef Stations, interviews with Tom Thumb’s Connie Yates, or the North Texas Food Bank’s Jan Pruitt or James Williams.

Additional Information:

Where:	Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 4301 Flora Street in Arts District of downtown Dallas. Parking is available in the Meyerson garage for $1 per hour.
Why:	The North Texas Food Bank serves 764 feeding and education programs in 13 North Texas counties. For every $1 raised, the North Texas Food Bank will be able to provide 5 meals for North Texans in need.
Tickets:	To purchase tickets, visit www.ntfb.org or call 214-431-4683. Tickets are $25 in advance; $30 at the door.

Restaurants: Opus at the Meyerson • Celebration Market & Restaurant • Dave & Buster’s • Potbelly Sandwich Works • Great Harvest Bread Co. • Olive Garden Italian Restaurant • NTFB Community Kitchen • The Grill on the Alley • Winn Meat Company • Pantry Organics/Suze • Clay Pit • Sodexho/Children’s Medical Center • The Landmark Restaurant • Strong’s Everyday Tavern • Tom Thumb • Paciugo Gelato • Food Glorious Food • Panera Bread • Blue Goose Cantina • JD’s Chippery • La Madeleine French Bakery and Restaurant • Atrium Café at the Dallas Museum of Art • Blue Mesa Grill • Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern

Sponsors: Tom Thumb, Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern, Dave and Buster’s, Post Apartment Homes, City Color, Mullis, Newby Hurst, LP, WFAA-TV, Green Grass Studios, Lockheed Martin, Grant Thornton, VHA, Novation, Provista, WBAP and EDS

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Amanda O’Neal
Public Relations Manager
North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)
Office: 214-347-9593
Cell: 972-510-4932
amanda@ntfb.org

Kelly Lane
For the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)
Office: 214-351-1586
Cell: 214-906-6491
Kelly@klanepr.com

# # #

top back to media releases

Food & Money Pouring in, But More is Needed for The Greater Dallas / Fort Worth Souper Bowl of Caring

Amanda O'Neal — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:39:47 GMT

The Largest Food Drive in North Texas is still counting on North Texans as the clock counts down to Super Bowl Sunday. January 23, 2008— The clock is ticking to raise 2 million pounds of food for the North Texas Food Bank and Tarrant Area Food Bank by the day of the Super Bowl, February 3, the one day on which Americans eat the second-greatest amount of food. Major grocery store competitors and nearly all major media outlets have partnered to help both food banks feed the hungry as part of what is expected to be the largest food drive in North Texas. The Greater Dallas / Fort Worth Souper Bowl of Caring has already generated nearly 225,000 pounds of non-perishable food. But more needs to be done. With a goal of raising 2 million pounds of food by Super Bowl Sunday, North Texans are encouraged to purchase and donate pre-packaged bags of food and make cash donations at the grocery store registers through February 3. The mission of the food drive is to transform Super Bowl weekend into the nation’s largest youth-led weekend of giving and serving. The Greater Dallas / Fort Worth Souper Bowl of Caring is led by the Dallas Cowboys, leading grocers Albertsons, Central Market, Kroger and Tom Thumb and Dallas/Fort Worth’s top media outlets, CBS 11, 94.9 FM KLTY, KTCK, TXA 21, NBC 5, The Dallas Morning News, Star-Telegram, Telemundo 39, WFAA and 99.5 The Wolf, “On any given day, 1.2 million people living in households in North Central Texas will go without food,” said Joan Hagan, Texas Director of the Souper Bowl of Caring. “I hope everyone will give generously and join this simple way of reaching out to help our neighbors in need.” In addition to the grocery store collections, more than 250 area congregations and schools have committed to getting involved. Young people will collect cash and canned goods for the week leading up to the big game and donate 100% to the charity of their choice. “There is still time to make a contribution to this effort,” said Brad Smith, Founder and Executive Director of the Souper Bowl of Caring. “By making a donation, volunteering at a store, or organizing an event at your church or school, everyone can impact the fight against hunger in North Texas.” To register your congregation or school, find participating stores or sign up for volunteer opportunities, visit www.souperbowl.org/dfw. ### SOUPER BOWL OF CARING America's teens are transforming Super Bowl weekend into the nation's largest youth-led weekend of giving through the Souper Bowl of Caring. Armed with soup pots, teens in all 50 states collect donations at churches, schools and businesses, and every penny raised is given to local charities as selected by each group. Since beginning in 1990, more than $33 million has been raised for those in need. www.souperbowl.org. ABOUT NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK Since it was founded in 1982 by Liz Minyard, Kathryn Hall, Jo Curtis and Lorraine Griffin Kircher, the NTFB has distributed 362 million pounds of food across our 13-county service area, which includes Dallas, Denton, Collin, Fannin, Rockwall, Hunt, Grayson, Kaufman, Ellis, Navarro, Lamar, Delta and Hopkins counties. Last year, the NTFB distributed 32 million pounds of food to 764 feeding and education programs including after-school programs, residential treatment programs, food pantries, emergency shelters, soup kitchens, senior citizen centers and low-income daycare centers. ABOUT TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK Tarrant Area Food Bank is a private nonprofit, rescues surplus food from becoming waste by accepting millions ofpounds of it each year from the food industry and distributing that food to our partner agencies. Since opening ourdoors in 1982 as a distribution center, we have become the primary source of food for most hunger-relief programs inour 13-county region that includes Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Erath, Somervell, Bosque, Hamilton, Hill, Cooke and Wise. Each month, our 300 partner food pantries, emergency shelters, soup kitchens, senior centers, after-school programs and other social service centers distribute emergency groceries to 35,000 families and serve 500,000 meals and snacks. MEDIA CONTACTS: Amanda O’Neal Public Relations Manager North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) Office: 214-347-9593 Cell: 972-510-4932 amanda@ntfb.org Kelly Lane For the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) Office: 214-351-1586 Cell: 214-906-6491 Kelly@klanepr.com

Students “Throw Pots” For A Good Cause

Amanda O'Neal — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:36:46 GMT

January 24, 2008

STUDENTS “THROW POTS” FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Dallas-Area Schools Create Ceramics For Hunger Relief In North Texas

Ceramics students at several area schools are creating artwork for the cause of hunger relief! The students are donating their time and talents to craft bowls for distribution at the annual Empty Bowls event (February 22, see below for details) where attendees will select a bowl as a memento of the event, which benefits the North Texas Food Bank.

There are two opportunities to catch students in action:

Brookhaven College

What:	“Bowl-a-Rama” - ceramic students will be creating bowls from recycled clay
When:	FRIDAY, January 25th, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon.
Where:	The clay studio Brookhaven College, 3949 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch (Contact media representatives below for detailed directions to the studio)

John Paul II High School

What:	Art students will be crafting their bowls
When:	WEDNESDAY, January 30th,11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Art Studio
Where:	John Paul II High School Coit Road and Plano Parkway just north of President George Bush Turnpike, Plano MEDIA, please check in at front office.

About Empty Bowls
The Empty Bowls lunch event is considered one of the best values in town! For $25 in advance or $30 at the door, discerning diners can sample soups, breads and desserts from 25 of North Texas’ best restaurants and food purveyors, plus select a handmade bowl created by area artists (and listen to fantastic classical music). The 9th annual Empty Bowls is presented by Tom Thumb.

Professional and student artisans from all over North Texas have created bowls for Empty Bowls. Coordinated by John Williams of Trinity Ceramic Supply in Dallas, both ceramic and wooden bowls will be prized mementoes of the event.

When: February 22, 2008, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, 4301 Flora Street, downtown Dallas.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Amanda O’Neal
Public Relations Manager
North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)
Office: 214-347-9593
Cell: 972-510-4932
amanda@ntfb.org

Kelly Lane
For the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)
Office: 214-351-1586
Cell: 214-906-6491
Kelly@klanepr.com

# # #

top back to media releases