EDEN PRAIRIE, MN (November 20, 2014) — C.H. Robinson has teamed up with Twin Cities NBC affiliate KARE 11 to create a one-day food and fund drive called the KARE 11 Food Fight. The unique collaboration aims to fight hunger in Minnesota with all donations benefitting Second Harvest Heartland.
The Food Fight, which takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 25 from 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m., pits four KARE 11 anchors – Belinda Jensen, Julie Nelson, Eric Perkins and Randy Shaver – against each other in a friendly competition to see which can collect the most food. During the 2013 Food Fight, more than 860,000 pounds of food was collected.
As a co-creator of the event, C.H. Robinson staffs each location throughout the day and provides the transportation needed to collect the donations and deliver them to Second Harvest Heartland. Since 1905, C.H. Robinson has served the food industry through the company’s logistics services and produce business brand, Robinson Fresh®. In addition, preventing hunger and providing food assistance are charitable priorities of the C.H. Robinson Foundation. By staffing the Food Fight, and providing employee donations and a monetary gift from the Foundation, C.H. Robinson will donate over 200 volunteer hours and more than 25,000 pounds of food for the event.
“The Food Fight is a creative, fun, and festive way for local residents and companies to give back to their own community,” said Angie Freeman, vice president of human resources at C.H. Robinson. “Each donation, large or small, allows us to take another step forward in preventing hunger, especially during the holiday season.”
As one of the nation’s largest food banks, Second Harvest Heartland serves more than 530,000 people each year, 33 percent of whom are individuals younger than 18 years old. The donations from the Food Fight also lessen the economic burden of purchasing food, since 84 percent of Second Harvest Heartland clients earn less than $30,000 per year. For every 1.2 pounds of food donated, Second Harvest Heartland can provide one meal to those Minnesotans experiencing the stress of hunger.
The community-wide competition encourages individuals, companies, and groups to bring food and cash donations to one of the designated locations: Whole Foods in Maple Grove, Byerly’s in Minnetonka, Cub Foods in Eagan, and Kowalski’s in Woodbury. Special guests and fun activities will be at all four locations throughout the day. Individuals can also follow the progress of the event through social media by tracking the following hashtags: #KARE11FoodFight, #TeamBel, #TeamJulie, #TeamPerk, and #TeamRandy. For those unable to attend the event, online donations can be made at Second Harvest Heartland’s website.
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About C.H. Robinson
Founded in 1905, C.H. Robinson is a global provider of multimodal logistics services, fresh produce sourcing, and information services to 46,000 customers through a network of more than 280 offices and over 11,000 employees around the world. The company works with 63,000 transportation providers worldwide. C.H. Robinson is a Fortune 500 company and has annual revenues of $12.8 billion in 2013.
Through the company and its Foundation, C.H. Robinson and its employees contribute millions of dollars annually to a variety of organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Community Health Charities, American Red Cross, Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota, and Global Impact. The company is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ since 1997. For more information about C.H. Robinson, visit http://www.chrobinson.com.
About KARE 11
KARE 11, owned by Gannett Co., Inc., has been broadcasting in the Twin Cities since 1953. The station is committed to serving the greater good and making the community a better place. Recognized for outstanding storytelling, award winning journalism, a commitment to excellence, and dedication to the community. KARE 11 is the NBC affiliate in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
Gannett Co., Inc. is an international media and marketing solutions company that informs and engages more than 110 million people every month through its powerful network of broadcast, digital, mobile, and publishing properties. Our portfolio of trusted brands offers marketers unmatched local-to-national reach and customizable, innovative marketing solutions across any platform. Gannett is committed to connecting people— and the companies who want to reach them— with their interests and communities.
About Second Harvest Heartland
Second Harvest Heartland is one of the nation’s largest, most efficient, and most innovative food banks. In 2013, we delivered more than 65 million meals to nearly 1,000 food shelves, pantries, and other agency partner programs serving 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Second Harvest Heartland helps relieve hunger not only by sourcing, warehousing and distributing food, but through data-driven thought leadership and community partnerships that help improve the region’s larger hunger relief system. For more information, visit www.2harvest.org or call 651.484.5117.
