Annual culinary event celebrates 30^th anniversary with new format and new ways to engage with top chef and NFL stars

PepsiCo and GENYOUth partner Albertsons Companies will help raise funds to tackle food insecurity and feed our nation’s youth

NEW YORK (January 11, 2021) – GENYOUth, a national non-profit organization which creates healthier school communities, kicked off ticket sales today for Taste of the NFL @Home, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience whose mission to fight childhood hunger is more urgent than ever in 2021. Celebrating its 30^th anniversary in the midst of a global pandemic, Taste of the NFL @Home will feature a completely reimagined and interactive format, with the combined star power of celebrity chefs Carla Hall, Andrew Zimmern and Tim Love cooking up delicious recipes – all with the goal of helping to feed our nation’s kids.

Incorporating COVID-19 health and safety guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NFL and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee, Taste of the NFL @Home will be a first-ever livestream broadcast that will whet the appetites and flex the cooking skills of football and foodie fans around the nation. It will take place on Sunday, February 7(Super Bowl Sunday) at 11:30am EST/10:30am CST/9:30am MST/8:30am PST LIVE from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, site of Super Bowl LV.​

“The pandemic has elevated an issue that was already mission critical – childhood hunger – to unprecedented levels, with 1 in 4 kids in the U.S. now living in food insecurity. Schools continue to be anchors of community feeding, but they need additional resources to deliver and distribute meals during the pandemic,” said Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth. “We are so fortunate to have the commitment of esteemed award-winning chefs Carla Hall, Andrew Zimmern and Tim Love, as well as NFL and sports super stars, all of whom will inspire Super Bowl fans to prepare game day recipes for homegating and support GENYOUth’s mission of tackling food insecurity by increasing access to nutritious school meals nationwide.”

Taste of the NFL @Home

Taste of the NFL was established in 1992 by Wayne Kostroski, founder of the event. This year it’s celebrating three decades of its Super Bowl legacy by raising awareness and generating funds to fight hunger and food insecurity.

“GENYOUth, a long-time partner of the NFL through its Fuel Up To Play 60 and NFL FLAG-In-Schools youth health and wellness programs with America’s Dairy Farmers, has done remarkable work in raising tens of millions of dollars to feed our nation’s kids in schools across America,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President Club Business & League Events. “With our new Taste of the NFL @Home format for 2021, we think the 30^th anniversary will be our most exciting and successful event yet.”  

Taste of the NFL @Home will bring the fun and flavor of Super Bowl eating to the comfort and safety of one’s kitchen. Tickets are priced at $100 and will include the following benefits:

• Taste of the NFL @Home livestream access, with a special code to be sent to ticket holders the week of February 1. Tune in will be on Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 11:30am EST, 10:30am CST, 9:30am MST, 8:30am PST.
  • Access to a customized game day menu and shopping list to purchase ingredients prior to the event at their local grocer. Special ingredients for the chefs’ menus will include Frito-Lay snacks and U.S. dairy products.
  • Participants will cook virtually alongside chefs Andrew Zimmern, Tim Love and Carla Hall, and listen to a special “Chalk Talk” presentation with sports greats.
• A limited-edition PepsiCo Game Day snack box from snacks.com, with PepsiCo beverages and     Frito-Lay snacks and NFL game day surprises, will be sent to the first 5,000 ticket purchasers the week of February 1.
• In partnership with PepsiCo, access to shop for recipe ingredients at participating Albertsons Companies stores along with a special $20 off savings with home delivery where available. All ticket purchasers will receive a complete shopping list to prepare all recipes from: Acme, Albertsons, Carrs, Jewel Osco, Pavilions, Randalls, Safeway, Shaws, Star Market, Tom Thumb and VONS store locations.
  • A special virtual gift bag, which will include special offers for product discounts and giveaways will be available for all ticket holders. It will be shared with ticket holders in advance of the event.
    
    For more information on Taste of the NFL @Home and to purchase tickets, go to www.TasteoftheNFL.com.  
    
    “As a veteran of many Taste of the NFL events, I know this will be an incredibly interactive experience guaranteed to satisfy your appetite to do good, eat well and make a true difference in helping to feed our nation’s kids,” said Andrew Zimmern, Emmy award-winning TV personality, chef and the long standing Taste of the NFL culinary host.  
    
    Said renowned Texas chef and restaurant owner Tim Love: “I am so excited to be part of Taste of the NFL @Home, as I believe we can all play an important role in tackling food insecurity – I am ready to cook for good and can’t wait to share my favorite tailgating recipes with thousands of home cooks!”
    
     
    “As a long-time supporter of GENYOUth, I have seen first-hand the valuable work they do to help feed children in high needs communities, I am ready to step up and get cooking to add a little flavor to Super Bowl Sunday and a big boost to fight youth hunger,” said TV host, cookbook author and GENYOUth Board Member Carla Hall.  
    
    “GENYOUth is proud to be partnering with the NFL to give this iconic platform an interactive new twist for Super Bowl LV and help support the tens of millions of children in America who are food insecure,” said Maureen Bausch, Chief Development Officer of GENYOUth. “Although we have an ambitious   goal – to deliver healthy meals to every one of the 30 million students who depend on school meals daily – through the participation of event attendees and the generous support of PepsiCo and Albertsons Companies – I know we can do it!”
    
    For more information on GENYOUth, visit www.genyouthnow.org. Or to make a one-time donation of $25 to GENYOUth’s COVID-19 School Meal Delivery Fund, text TASTE to 20222.
    
    About Taste of the NFL 
    
    Since 1992, and every year since, Taste of the NFL has teamed up with many of the country’s top chefs and creatively partnered them with the NFL’s greatest players to raise money in support of food banks and food insecurity efforts throughout the United States. To date, Taste of the NFL programs and events have raised and donated millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations addressing food insecurity in Super Bowl Host cities and the 32 NFL Club markets, providing more than an estimated 220 million meals for Americans in need. Taste of the NFL brings together exceptional cuisine, prominent chefs and food influencers from around the country, NFL players, coaches, legends and fresh ideas, all to support the fight against hunger.  Learn more about Taste of the NFL at www.genyouthnow.org.
    
    
    About GENYOUth
    
    GENYOUth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that creates healthier school communities.  We convene a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations, to raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that give youth the inspiration, motivation and programs to be healthy high-achieving students. GENYOUth’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, enrolls over 73,000 U.S. schools, reaching over 38 million students. Our school nutrition grants increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. NFL FLAG-In-School is GENYOUth’s fastest growing program with over 20,000+ school communities reaching over 11 million students while AdVenture Capital brings out the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of students with the support of corporate mentors to solve real world problems. 

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $67 billion in net revenue in 2019, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business.  For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

GENYOUth Partner

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of June 20, 2020, the Company operated 2,252 retail food and drug stores with 1,726 pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 20 manufacturing facilities. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. The company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, the Company made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans’ outreach.

COURTESY GENYOUTH AND NFLmedia.com