BBA Partners with Second Helpings Atlanta to Help Fight Food Waste
Funds from Popular ‘Spirit Wall’ at 14th Annual Taste of Buckhead to Benefit Local Charity.
Atlanta, Ga. – Aug. 29, 2017 – Taste of Buckhead, Atlanta’s highly anticipated fall food and beverage celebration, hosted by the Buckhead Business Association (BBA), today announced that a portion of proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Second Helpings Atlanta. The event is slated for Thursday, September 14th and will take place from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at The Stave Room at ASW Distillery.
Taste of Buckhead attendees can purchase a ‘Spirit Wall’ raffle ticket for $20 during the event, selecting their favorite bottle and taking it home. Proceeds generated from this popular fundraiser will benefit Buckhead Business Foundation, the charitable arm of BBA. The Foundation will in turn donate the funds to Second Helpings Atlanta, a non-profit organization focused on fighting food waste and food insecurity by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to those in need.
“We are excited to support Second Helpings Atlanta at this year’s Taste of Buckhead. As one of the largest food and beverage events in metro Atlanta, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to shine a light on Second Helpings Atlanta, as they make such a profound impact on our community each year,” said Smita Solanki, executive director of the BBA. “Not only will monetary donations be made, but left-over food from the evening will be delivered to a deserving, nearby agency to ensure no food will go to waste.”
Second Helpings Atlanta’s mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the metropolitan Atlanta area by rescuing surplus food and delivering it to those in need. With an army of over 355 volunteer drivers, Second Helpings Atlanta serves as the link between their network of approximately 65 Food Donors and more than 40 Partner Agencies who feed the hungry on a daily basis.
They carefully match drivers with routes that allow them to drive to a donor’s location, pick-up surplus food, transport and deliver it to a partner agency for distribution and return home, all within 90 minutes or less. Currently, the organization manages 140 scheduled weekly pick-ups, more than 7,200 pick-ups/deliveries a year. Since its first food pick-up, Second Helpings Atlanta has rescued over 6.7 million pounds of food – enough food to provide more than 5.6 million meals that would have otherwise been thrown away.
“We are honored that Taste of Buckhead is recognizing our mission to rescue surplus food and distribute it to Partner Agencies who serve those in need,” said Joe Labriola, executive director of Second Helpings Atlanta. “For a family, it’s unnerving to not know where your next meal may come from or how long you will have to wait in between meals. That said, the hunger crisis is preventable and it’s inspiring to know more and more organizations like Buckhead Business Association are committed to helping our cause.”
Taste of Buckhead 2017 will bring together more than 20 chefs and representatives from the city’s most popular and trendsetting restaurants for a one-of-a-kind, upscale experience. General admission tickets for this all-inclusive event are $50 per person. VIP tickets, which include an exclusive tour of the ASW Distillery, demonstrations, specialty cocktails and exclusive food samples, are available for $75 per person. Doors open for 150 VIP ticket holders at 5:30 p.m., with general admission beginning at 6 p.m. The VIP area will open at 6:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets to Taste of Buckhead, visit www.TasteOfBuckhead.org. For more information about Second Helpings Atlanta visit www.secondhelpingsatlanta.org. Follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ATOBB or Instagram @TasteofBuckhead for real-time participant additions and announcements.