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Share Our Strength® Hosts World-Class Culinary Dinner to Support its Work to End Childhood Hunger in America by 2015

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Former White House Chefs and Washington, DC's Leading Culinary Stars Join Political, Philanthropic and Entertainment Leaders to Honor the Obama Administration's Goal

June 3, 2009

Washington, DC — Share Our Strength®, the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America, hosted a world-class fundraising dinner tonight featuring some of the nation's top chefs. Part of Share Our Strength's A Tasteful Pursuit® traveling dinner series, the dinner honored the Obama Administration's goal of ending childhood hunger in America by 2015.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack addressed attendees and shared his Department's priorities for improving nutrition for all children in the United States and reaffirmed his agency's commitment to fostering a lifetime of healthy eating and exercise habits. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley gave an update on the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland, a joint partnership between the Maryland Governor's Office and Share Our Strength.

Chef Charlie Palmer hosted the event at his restaurant, Charlie Palmer Steak on Capitol Hill. The elegant multi-course dinner was prepared by a select group of former White House chefs and some of Washington, DC's finest executive chefs and sommeliers. Guest included leaders from the philanthropic, media, political and business sectors and local culinary stars, all of whom gathered to shine a light on the growing issue of childhood hunger in America.

Participating chefs included: Charlie Palmer and Matt Hill, Charlie Palmer Steak; Jeffrey Buben, Bistro Bis; R.J. Cooper, Vidalia; Todd Gray, Equinox Restaurant; Keith Luce, The Herbfarm and former White House Sous Chef; Brian McBride, Blue Duck Tavern; Bryan Voltaggio, Volt Restaurant; Walter Scheib, former White House Executive Chef; Ann Amernick, former White House Assistant Pastry Chef and Nadine Brown, Sommelier, Charlie Palmer Steak.

Welcoming the guests, Bill Shore, Share Our Strength Founder and Executive Director, commented, "With leadership in the White House, in Congress and at the state executive levels committed to ending childhood hunger, our country is poised to change the astonishing fact that on any given day more than 12 million children in the United States are at risk of hunger. We look forward to working together to realize President Obama's pledge--and Share Our Strength's vision--to end childhood hunger in America by 2015."

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, representing the Obama Administration's goal of ending childhood hunger, stated, "With numerous far-reaching nutrition education and assistance programs, USDA will play a significant role in reaching the President's goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015 and I am committed to doing all we can to help America's children and families tackle this critical issue."
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who has vowed that Maryland will be the first state to end childhood hunger, said, "More than 100,000 kids in Maryland don't have ready or reliable access to the food they need to lead healthy, active lives." Not only is that inexcusable, but we should be leading the way in this effort to end childhood hunger. We hope to serve as a national model, so that our nation may follow President Obama's leadership in seeking to eradicate childhood hunger nationally."

About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength® is the leading national organization working to end childhood hunger in America. We weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. We work with the culinary industry to create engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation®, the nation's premier culinary benefit; Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale®, a grassroots effort to fight childhood hunger; Share Our Strength's A Tasteful Pursuit®, a touring dinner series; Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out ®, a week-long program involving thousands of restaurants nationwide; and Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline®, a cooking-based nutrition education program. Visit strength.org.

About the USDA

USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science and efficient management. Specifically, USDA expands markets for agricultural products and supports international economic development, further develops alternative markets for agricultural products and activities, provides financing needed to help expand job opportunities and improve housing, utilities and infrastructure in rural America, enhances food safety by taking steps to reduce the prevalence of food borne hazards from farm to table, improves nutrition and health by providing food assistance and nutrition education and promotion and manages and protects America's public and private lands working cooperatively with other levels of government and the private sector.

About the Maryland Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in America

Led by the Governor's Office for Children and Share Our Strength, the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland includes a strong coalition of public and private organizations on the national and local levels. The coalition, which is implementing the action plan to end childhood hunger in Maryland, includes the Maryland departments of Education, Human Resources, and Health and Mental Hygiene; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; the Maryland Food Bank; Advocates for Children and Youth; and Maryland Hunger Solutions/Food Research and Action Center.

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