In addition to acknowledgments, the dinner included the presentation of a $3,000 donation to the Chicago Community Kitchen, an award to Kate Maehr, executive director of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and an award recognizing Messe Dusseldorf’s commitment to SAVE FOOD, an initiative working toward reducing global food loss and waste.
“The Chairman’s Dinner is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to all those who have done so much throughout the year to help make this year’s PROCESS EXPO the very best show possible and to those who have contributed to our Defeat Hunger campaign,” said FPSA Chairman Tom Kittle. “We are grateful for the efforts of so many hard-working individuals and thank the Chicago Community Kitchen for providing the meal and arranging for the program. We are excited to be hosting PROCESS EXPO in the greatest ‘food’ city in the country.”
As a part of the 2017 Defeat Hunger campaign, FPSA and the Greater Chicago Food Depository will be holding a food drive during PROCESS EXPO. The donation drive is part of FPSA’s Giving Back Initiative. All the donations and proceeds will go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help their fight against hunger in Cook County, Illinois.
Exhibitors and attendees have the chance to make monetary and food donations through the 4-day show. The FPSA Foundation’s goal is to raise enough to provide 400,000 meals for the men, women and children in the greater Chicago area.
Donors can purchase cases of produce, canned goods, dairy, protein, grains and other bulk items by visiting fpsa.org/Defeat-Hunger.
“FPSA, its Foundation and its members made a commitment long ago to provide assistance to those in need in the city of Chicago, the home of our event, PROCESS EXPO,” said David Seckman, president and CEO of FPSA. “We are proud how FPSA members have stepped up to embrace this initiative and look forward to our largest campaign to date. Thanks to our many partners involved in this year’s campaign, we are confident we will exceed our donation goal and help the Greater Chicago Food Depository in providing assistance to those in need.”
Each year the food depository serves more than 812,000 hungry people in the greater Chicago area. “That would not be possible without the support of FPSA and its members through the Defeat Hunger campaign,” Maehr said.
