Thank You for an Incredible 7th Annual Ultimate Tailgate Party!
On Sunday evening we welcomed more than 500 supporters to Flynn Cruiseport Boston at Black Falcon Terminal for our 7th annual event. We were proud to be represented by over 25 sponsors, including Credit Suisse, Cafco Construction, Michael & Susan Delaney, Randi & Joel Cutler with Larry & Judi Bohn, and Dorothy Puhy! We also had a record number of volunteers this year, all of whom were amazing and spirited — we thank you all!
We especially want to thank our Host Committee, this year chaired by Board Member Adam Amontea. Our dear friend Andrew Zimmern welcomed everyone to the VIP hour and spoke personally about his affiliation and role within Lovin’ Spoonfuls. Our dynamite COO Lauren Palumbo proudly and passionately spoke about the year’s operational milestones, organizational goals, and inspired the crowd to get to know who we are, and why our model works.
Our VIP celebration closed with a touching video honoring Board member, and 2017 Thomas M. Menino Award for Leadership honoree, Andy Youniss. Ashley Stanley, Lovin’ Spoonfuls founder and executive director, presented him with this year’s recognition:
“We honor our friend and late Mayor’s life and legacy with this award. It recognizes those who hold the same ideals that he did – ideals that connect service, community and food. Tonight, we proudly honor Andy Youniss.”
We were lucky enough to have filmmaker and friend Jon Mercer produce this incredible tribute piece to Andy, with testimonials from colleague Jay Leader, and Chef Colin Lynch (stay tuned for details on an upcoming workshop with Colin at Eataly Boston to kick off our chef workshop series! Tickets will go on sale soon).
Attendees enjoyed food from incredible chefs and restaurants from Providence up to Portland, and TJ Connelly spun the party soundtrack of the year! Our silent auction scrolled on screens throughout the space as folks tried to outbid each other on trips ranging from Hawaii to Nantucket and Los Angeles, rare wine lots, and unique sports and dining experiences.
After another short video about our work, Andrew Zimmern again took the mic — and our favorite emcee brought the house down with an emotional plea for food justice, and for support on our behalf. We raised more than $60,000 in just a few minutes, and ended by our generous 50/50 raffle winner donating her winnings back to the organization!
Each truck we put on the road rescues 400,000 lbs of fresh, healthy food each year — and we keep them on the road with your support. Follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as we post photos from the party in the coming days. If you couldn’t attend, or would like to support our work and learn more about what we do and why, visit us here.