And the winners are...
posted by snekse

Congratulations to all of the Menu for Hope prize winners. Thank you to all who donated, with an extra special thanks to those who bid on our faboulous Morgan Ranch wagyu prize packages which raised $400 for the World Food Programme!

And now what you've all been waiting for. The email please. And the winners are...

Rochelle McCune - Winner of UC02. The Morgan Ranch Wagyu Sirloin Sizzler Pack

Christopher W Towe - Winner of UC03. The Morgan Ranch Wagyu Carving Roast

Congratulations to both of you. If you haven't already, you should be receiving an email shortly with instructions on how to claim your prize. If you're not one of the people listed above and you bid on other items, check out the full list of winners to see if you won. Any loyal readers win anything? If so, post a comment below. We'd love to hear about it.

Labels: CHARITY, NOTICE

REMINDER: Menu for Hope ends in 2 days
posted by snekse

Just a quick reminder that The Menu for Hope fund raiser ends December 21st. This is your last chance to buy tickets for that cool food prize you've been thinking about (or to better your chances at winning the items you already bought tickets for) and to help a good cause.

Thanks again to all of those who have already donated. The total raised so far is a little over $48,000. Short of the almost $61,000 we raised last year, but a good amount none-the-less. The prizes provided to us by Morgan Ranch have done fairly well, each raising $100 so far. Though I'm hoping there are some charity snipers out there who are going to come in last minute and buy 10 more tickets for each item to increase their odds :-)

Tags || MENU FOR HOPE | CHARITY | FUND RAISER | FOOD | GFC |

Labels: CHARITY, NATIONAL EVENTS, ONLINE EVENTS, REMINDERS

Menu for Hope - Morgan Ranch Wagyu Beef
posted by snekse

At the end of each year for the past 3 years, food bloggers have united, with the help of Chez Pim , to hold a raffle to raise money for worthy charities. In 2006, Menu for Hope raised US$62,925.12 to help the UN World Food Programme feed the hungry. So who is the beneficiary of this year's campaign?

"Once again we've chosen to work with the UN World Food Programme. WFP is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good.

With a special permission from the WFP, the funds raised by Menu for Hope 4 will be earmarked for the school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa. We chose to support the school lunch program because providing food for the children not only keeps them alive, but keeps them in school so that they learn the skills to feed themselves in the future. We chose to support the program in Lesotho because it is a model program in local procurement - buying food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. Instead of shipping surplus corn across the ocean, the WFP is buying directly from local subsistent farmers who practice conservation farming methods in Lesotho to feed the children there."

So how can you help?
For every $10 donated, you earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of your choice. At the end of the two-week campaign (December 10-21), the raffle tickets are drawn and the results announced on Chez Pim .

Like what kind of prizes?
How about a chance to meet Thomas Keller, Harold McGee, or Ferran Adrià? Or maybe a dinner of a life time at a Michelin starred restaurant ? Or better yet, the opportunity to work in the kitchen and learn from great chefs like Grant Achatz. All of these have been or will be items raffled for the event.

Unfortunately, we here at GFC don't have that kind of pull. However...

To tempt your taste buds and help coax your charitable side, we've enlisted the help of Morgan Ranch in Burwell, Nebraska. Morgan Ranch has been breeding Wagyu since the early 1990's using genetic stock acquired directly from Japan. One of the first Wagyu breeders in the United States, Morgan Ranch was also one of the few to pass stringent genetic, management and production requirements for shipping the prized beef back to Japan. Morgan Ranch remains one of the largest producers of Wagyu beef in the country.

So a special thanks goes out to Morgan Ranch for providing us with the following two amazing items to be raffled off.

Morgan Ranch Wagyu Sirloin Sizzler Pack - $150 value**

A steak for every taste -- the Morgan Ranch Wagyu Sirloin Sizzler Pack showcases everything there is to love about the unmistakably intense flavor, tenderness and fine texture of the sirloin steak. Features 2 8-ounce Bavettes, 2 8-ounce Tri Tip, 2 10-11-ounce top Round / Center Cut, 2 8-ounce Sirloin Filet and 1 lb. of Kabob / Cubed Beef. Perfect for the grill, kabobs or even hot rock.
PRIZE CODE: UC02

Morgan Ranch Wagyu Carving Roast - $100 value**

All the qualities that make Wagyu beef worth enjoying also make it worth sharing with our Morgan Ranch Wagyu Carving Roast. The most flavorful of all the roasting cuts, it offers unmatched tenderness and texture as well. Its generous 7- to 9-pound size makes it the right size for every occasion.
PRIZE CODE: UC03

**Both include free 2nd day shipping within the continental US.

So now what?
Check out the 150+ items up for raffle benefiting Menu for Hope 4. Pay attention to the prize code listed next to the item(s) you want to win. Once you decide which buckets you want your tickets to go into, go to the donation site and follow the instructions. I'll post a winners announcement when it becomes available on January 9th.

Good luck and thank you in advance to all who donate. Happy holidays to all!

RELATED LINKS:
Event Coordinator: Chez Pim
Central US Host: Kalyn's Kitchen
Complete Prize List: Chez Pim
Donate: At the Menu for Hope 4 donation site on firstgiving.com .
Sponsors: Thanks to Morgan Ranch for supplying us with some great gourmet wagyu beef to give away.