FMI Foundation raises more than $1 Million at Record-Setting Fundraiser

Stir It Up! culinary competition promoted National Family Meals Month™ campaign

February 7, 2017 – Arlington, VA – Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation’s new fundraising event, Stir It Up!,  raised $1,032,000 in support of the Foundation’s programs in food safety, nutrition and health at FMI’s 2017 Midwinter Executive Conference.  This was the highest amount ever raised at a FMI Foundation event.  Stir It Up! offered more than 450 retailers an energizing opportunity to network and connect with their colleagues, while participating in a lively cooking competition.

“FMI Foundation created Stir it Up! to put the ‘fun’ back in fundraising by celebrating and promoting the good grocers do supporting family meal occasions,” said Sue Borra, RD, chief health and wellness officer and executive director of the FMI Foundation. “We’re grateful for the support of our industry executives and all our sponsors. Stir It Up! was an exciting and friendly way to showcase the retail food industry’s culinary talents.”

Retailer and supplier executives competed for the bragging rights of dishing up the best family meal in the kitchen. Conference attendees served as culinary judges and cast their votes for their favorite family meals in the following categories: Easiest Family Meal, Most Affordable Family Meal, Healthiest Family Meal, Best Culinary Adventure Family Meal, and Tastiest Family Meal.

The 2017 winning menus:

Easiest Family Meal and Most Affordable Family Meal

 Coca-Cola with its winning menu of carved whole roasted, free-range chicken with winter vegetables, and a classic Coca-Cola Float with a Twist.

Photo: (L-R) Leslie Sarasin, FMI Foundation; Chef Jorge Cespedes; Mel Landis, the Coca-Cola Company;  and Mitty the FMI Foundation Family Meals Spokes Mitt

Tastiest Family Meal

Hy-Vee with Sous-Chef Unilever with its winning menu of Hy-Waiian Beef Sliders, crab cake sliders with Aioli, spiralized Mediterranean Veggie Salad, and The Cheesecake Factory Bites®, topped with Fresh Berries.

Photo: Chef Chris Bilyk, Unilever Corporate R&D Chef; Chef Elizabeth Hill, Chef Andrew Kintigh, Chef Amy Gleason; Chef Jason Scafuri, Hy-Vee, Inc.; Leslie Sarasin, FMI Foundation; Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee, Inc.; and Mitty the FMI Foundation Family Meals Spokes Mitt

Healthiest Family Meal

Wakefern with its winning menu of sizzling sesame shrimp, chickpea lettuce wraps with chicken, cauliflower fried rice, and broiled mango with honey-lime yogurt.

Photo: Leslie Sarasin, FMI Foundation, Chef Paul Taylor, Wakefern, Joe Sheridan, Melanie Dwornik, and Mitty the FMI Foundation Family Meals Spokes Mitt

Best Culinary Adventure Family Meal

PepsiCo with its winning menu of Green Oats and Ham – Quaker Steel Cut Oat Risotto Cake, Naked Cold Pressed Bright Greens Pistou, Pancetta, Rold Gold Parmesan Crisp, Smoked Paprika Grilled Fillet of Beef- Starbuck’s Double Shot Espresso and Port Wine Reduction, Sabra Chickpea Panisse, Stacy’s Gremolata, Grandma’s Soft Cookies Baked Alaska, and Smartfood Kettle Popcorn Brittle

Photo: Leslie Sarasin, FMI Foundation; Chef Jody Denton;  Art Rosenberg, PepsiCo; and Mitty the FMI Foundation Family Meals Spokes Mitt

The FMI Foundation would like to thank all of the sponsors of the 2017 Stir It Up! fundraiser:

About the FMI Foundation: Established in 1996, the Food Marketing Institute Foundation seeks to ensure continued quality and efficiency in the food retailing system and is operated for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes.  To help support the role of food retailing, the FMI Foundation focuses on research and education in the areas of food safety, nutrition, and health.