Orlando, Fla. (June 2, 2010) – On May 3rd, the National Mango Board (NMB), along with Latin entertaining expert, Ingrid Hoffmann, presented a $5,000 check to Food and Finance High School in New York, NY for their participation in the board’s Holidays with Latin Flair promotional program. This unique marketing effort incorporated outreach to national magazine editors, a video showing at-home cooks how to spice up their holiday dishes with fresh mango and a return to the school to present the donation and offer best wishes to some soon-to graduate seniors who participated in the program.
Last spring, the NMB, Food and Finance High School and Ingrid Hoffmann hosted a lunch for New York-based food editors of several women’s magazines, including Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Parade and Everyday with Rachel Ray, among others. Ms. Hoffmann, of Simply Delicioso-fame, was on hand to unveil her festive mango-focused holiday feast and encourage the editors to consider mangos as inspiration for their November and December food sections. All of the dishes were prepared and served by culinary students at Food and Finance High School, which is a public school in New York City that specializes in teaching culinary arts.
The NMB also produced a consumer-oriented video, which was shot on location at Food and Finance High School, featuring Ingrid Hoffmann sharing the secrets of her mango-inspired menu for the holidays. The video included a demonstration of the main course, her Snapper Pockets with Mango-Cilantro Mojo. Appearing during the 2009 holiday season on cable TV’s Health & Home Report, on the iTV network of TV news station websites, on YouTube and on the NMB’s own website, mango.org, the video encouraged home chefs to spice up their holiday menus with mangos.
In appreciation for their work on the editor’s lunch and the video, the NMB committed to donate $1 to Food and Finance High School for each time the video was viewed, up to $5000. On May 3rd, NMB director of marketing, Wendy McManus visited the school with Ingrid Hoffmann and presented the $5,000 donation to Principal Roger Turgeon.
For several years, Ms. Hoffmann has been a big supporter of Food and Finance High School, where she visits periodically to work with the students and help raise the profile of the school in the community. “Getting to work with the National Mango Board and the Food and Finance High School was like combining two of my favorite things,” said Ms. Hoffmann. “The Food and Finance High School has been something very near and dear to my heart and I was thrilled to see the NMB present a $5,000 check to help the students and school.”
During the May 3rd visit, Ms. McManus and Ms. Hoffmann talked with some of the students who had participated in the editor’s lunch last year. Among these students were recipients of culinary school scholarships to such well-respected institutions as Johnson & Wales University and Culinary Institute of America. According to Principal Turgeon, the NMB’s donation will be used to supplement student scholarships and help create opportunities for future culinarians.
“We’re excited to see that this program worked on so many levels,” said Wendy McManus, director of marketing for the National Mango Board. “We secured magazine coverage for mangos during the holidays, we inspired home cooks to include mangos in their holiday feasts and we shared our passion for mangos with these ambitious culinary students. Being able to present the $5,000 donation was the perfect wrap-up for this marketing program.”
Source: National Mango Board