2010-06-08 16:18:45 - The Food Bank for Westchester, which has been fighting hunger in Westchester for more than 20 years, recently hosted its Second Annual Give Back Olympics to help raise awareness of hunger and reaffirm corporate commitment to hunger relief in Westchester County.

Teams of 20 employees from Kraft Foods, MediaVest, PepsiCo, Stop&Shop and Webster Bank competed against each other to repack the most pounds of pinto beans. The winner was Stop&Shop, which packed 4,175 pounds of pinto beans. The effort yielded nearly nine tons of food, which will be distributed to the Food Bank’s member agencies across the County.

Millwood, NY – (June 8, 2010) –

The Stop&Shop team will be presented with the “Golden Scoop” award at the Food Bank’s Fifth Annual Hunger Heroes Awards Breakfast on June 8, 2010 at Tappan Hill.

Vera Kovalski, Stop&Shop District Manager, said that she and her team had a great time working toward a common goal. "We are honored to have won the Golden Scoop this year, but more importantly, we are humbled to be part of a larger, very important cause here in Westchester. Fighting hunger is truly everyone's responsibility," Kovalski said.

Neil Leinwand, FBW Board Member and Vice President of Marketing at Kraft Foods, said that he is pleased with the increase in corporate support at the event. "Last year, we

had only two teams vie for the chance of winning the Golden Scoop. This year, five teams competed, demonstrating that the corporate commitment to fight hunger in Westchester is stronger than ever. We hope that our efforts convey the serious issue of hunger here and that we serve as an example for others that fighting hunger is important - and can be a lot of fun, too."

“Our Corporate Giveback Olympics is such a fun way for area businesses to get involved in the fight against hunger,” said Christina Rohatynskyj, Executive Director of the Food Bank. “We are so grateful to all of the corporate teams for helping to pack almost nine tons of food that will provide 14,400 meals to help the hungry in Westchester County.

The Food Bank supports organizations in the following Westchester communities: Cortlandt Manor, Croton-on-Hudson, Eastchester, Harrison, Hawthorne, Katonah, Larchmont/Mamaroneck, Mohegan Lake, Montrose, Mount Kisco, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Ossining, Peekskill, Port Chester, Pleasantville, Tarrytown, Thornwood, Tuckahoe, White Plains, Yonkers and Yorktown Heights.

To register for the Third Annual Give Back Olympics, call 914-923-1100 or email katy.coppinger@foodbankforwestchester.org. The Food Bank for Westchester is located at 358 Saw Mill River Road, Millwood, NY 10546.

About the Food Bank for Westchester: The Food Bank for Westchester, one of eight food banks in New York State, acquires, warehouses and distributes more than five million pounds of food annually to 200 Westchester County hunger relief organizations, including food pantries and soup kitchens, among others. Its mission is to lead, engage and educate Westchester County in creating a hunger-free environment. Its core activity is the collection and distribution of donated, government and purchased food.