HOUSTON, TEXAS – The Houston Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association (HFFVA) will hold its 25th Annual Gift of Produce Holiday Event benefiting Houston Food Bank on Friday, December 16, 10AM at Houston Food Bank, 535 Portwall Drive, Houston, TX 77029. This annual event garners contributions from produce growers, distributors, shippers and retailers from across the United States, as well as Mexico and South America to make one of the world’s largest donation of fresh produce for hunger relief in a single event. The event has grown from a giving yield of 100,000 pounds of produce in 1986 to 1.25 million pounds in 2010. This year’s event is expected to double last year’s gift for a yield of 2.5 million pounds of produce for hunger relief. The gift is distributed during the holidays to those in need through the Houston Food Bank’s more than 500 member agencies, which serve 18 counties throughout southeast Texas.
Industry vendors donating to the 25th Annual Gift of Produce Holiday Event include Country Fresh, Inc., MountainKing Potatoes, The Kroger Co., H-E-B, Randalls, Dole Foods, Del Monte Foods, Chiquita Brands International, Inc., Fiesta Mart, Schoenmann Produce, Food Town and Target. Jamey Rootes, President, Houston Texans, is the event guest speaker. Tom Abrahams, Weekend News Anchor, abc13.com – KTRK Houston News, is the event emcee. Bryan Herr, owner of Country Fresh, Inc., is the event chairman.
HFFVA launches new Gift of Produce retail program
To increase its support for the community in need, HFFVA has created a new retail program that combines vendor supported products, consumer purchases, and a bold mass marketing effort to cultivate community awareness, engagement and support for the Gift of Produce. The new program will generate 3346 East T C Jester, Box 28B Houston, TX 77018 P (210) 373-9098 F (210) 587-2411 additional monetary contributions to Houston Food Bank throughout the year and builds on a legacy that was created and has been sustained exclusively for 25 years by the generous hearts of industry vendors. The first Gift of Produce retail program begins December 7, 2011 in approximately 110 Houston area Kroger stores. Consumers may support the program by purchasing participating products in Houston area Kroger stores through December 20, 2011 and also by making monetary donations on the Gift of Produce website.
About Houston Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association
HFFVA is a non-profit 501(c)(5) organization dedicated to building consumption of fruits and vegetables in the Houston Metropolitan Area. In addition to their signature Gift of Produce Holiday Event, HFFVA supports the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative and has made an initial commitment to provide 20 salad bars to schools in the Houston Independent School District. More information at: www.hffva.org.
Source: Houston Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association