Every July Weber Thompson participates in Food Lifeline’s Food Frenzy competition. The competition consists of local businesses competing against each other to raise money for Food Lifeline, a local organization that helps provide meals for local children, seniors, veterans and families who are facing hunger.
Food Frenzy took place July 14-28th and 2017 marks our third year in the competition. After attending the Food Frenzy Coordinator’s Luncheon where we met fellow Food Frenzy competitors, we left feeling inspired and motivated to make 2017 the best year yet.
Volunteer Day | Thursday, July 13
We kicked off our Food Frenzy fun by volunteering at the Food Lifeline Hunger Solution Center learning how to work the Sort & Pack station. It was eye opening to learn about how confusion over “Sell by” dates leads to a staggering amount of food waste every year. It’s organizations like Food Lifeline that make sure this food doesn’t go to waste – dispersing it instead into communities where people need it most.
We also went on a tour of the massive 190,000 sq.ft. facility where they distribute over 100 million pounds of food per year. After seeing the warehouse in action, it was hard to not be overwhelmed by the amount of work this organization does.
Bake Sale | Monday, July 17
The next FF event was our annual WT Bake Sale. WT Employees signed up to bake their favorite sweet (and savory) treats for the sale and they did not disappoint. Items ranged from a giant blueberry cake, vegan peanut butter chocolate cupcakes, “The Cookie,” and D. Luddy’s Famous Cinnamon Buns. We took the sale a step further this year by moving our Treat Cart outside to the corner of Terry & Thomas during the lunch rush. The SLU neighborhood was thrilled to buy our home-baked goodies and donate to a great cause. Next year we will be ready to rival the local food trucks!
Garden Party | Thursday, July 20
The final event was our inaugural Garden Party on Thursday, July 20th. We invited some of our friends and colleagues to join us in our courtyard and help us in the fight against hunger. Nate Pedigo from Food Lifeline kicked-off the event by speaking about the organization and sharing facts about the reality of the hunger situation in our city. (Thank you Nathan!)
As guests mingled and sipped on local beer & wine, the sounds of celebration could be heard near the wine toss. Each player had the chance to throw several rings at the bottle of wine they prized the most. Or, if you’re like me, you were just happy to throw a ring in the general vicinity of the bottles.
The night was full of excitement, but the silent auction was the main event of the night. There was a variety of fabulous raffle & silent auction items to choose from that included a Stacy Morgan rug, Meyer Wells goods, gift baskets, a private flight for up to three people and a beautiful side table from Meyer Wells to name a few. The competition at the silent auction was fierce, but in the end, a few lucky people walked away with some great prizes benefitting a great cause.
Garden Party “Best Dressed”
Garden Party “Best Dressed Kid”
Lastly, no Garden Party is complete without the appropriate attire. We held a competition for the best dressed attendees of the party. Kristen Linn was awarded “Best Dressed Female” while Cody Lodi was awarded “Best Dressed Male.” There was also a last minute Best Dressed Prize awarded to Fanny’s son, Sidney, for the “Best Dressed Kid” category. With style like that, how could we not.
The Results
With all of our efforts and the support from co-workers, the community and local businesses we had our most successful Food Frenzy campaign to date raising over $4,500. This money will go directly to Food Lifeline and will help provide over 18,000 meals to those who need it most.
As Food Lifeline’s slogan states, “Hunger doesn’t have to happen.” It’s a simple statement that is hard to argue against. The yearly Food Frenzy competition is a great way to raise money for the organization, but it’s important to remember that they accept donations through out the year and always welcome volunteers at their Hunger Solution Facility. For more info on how you can help, visit www.FoodLifeline.org.