Forgotten Harvest Is 'On Track To End Hunger'
OAK PARK, MI (CBS Detroit) – Forgotten Harvest announces its first-ever "On Track to End Hunger" event on Saturday, August 24, to raise money for Metro Detroit's food-insecure, while providing guests with an exclusive opportunity to experience the M1 Concourse performance track in Pontiac, Mich.
"As the Motor City's premier food rescue organization, I am excited to continue our long history of providing amazing fund-raising events," says Kirk Mayes, CEO of Forgotten Harvest. This totally new and unique VIP automotive-themed event, along with our presenting sponsor Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, will raise the money we need to feed the children, seniors and veterans in the tri-county area."
"On Track to End Hunger" will provide a premier VIP experience, benefiting Forgotten Harvest. The first 300 VIP attendees to reserve their ride will be able to take part in the "Premier Thrill Ride Experience" at the state-of-the-art 1.5-mile M1 Concourse performance track. There will also be live music, food, and drinks. The event will take place on the 87-acre M1 Concourse at 1 Concourse Dr. in Pontiac beginning at 5:00 p.m on August 24th.
"At Mercedes Benz Financial Services, one of core values is social responsibility and we look to have robust, well-planned partnerships like Forgotten Harvest,' explains Heidi Hall, Corporate Communication Manager for Mercedes Benz Financial Services. "Spanning from helping with their vehicles to developing signature events like this that help them stand out in the community. It's also an opportunity for folks who enjoy the Mercedes Benz driving experience."
Funds raised will benefit Forgotten Harvest's network of more than 250 agencies in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. To help reach the goal of providing nearly 750,000 meals for those in need in metro Detroit, there are multiple sponsorship levels to choose from, ranging from $1,000 to $15,000. Some sponsor packages include VIP Thrill Rides, your name or logo placement on event collateral, and more.
"Forgotten Harvest is looking to raise $200,00 with this event," says Mayes. "When you think about it, every dollar that's donated to Forgotten Harvest provides $7 worth of groceries to the people in our local community. So we're thinking that we can make a massive impact in one day, Having some fun, driving around the track with professional drivers giving us a thrill, and at the same time helping a lot of people in Metro Detroit."
"In Metro Detroit, one in four children and one in five adults are at risk for food insecurity," adds Mayes. "So we're talking about hundreds of thousands of people that depend on the food provided by Forgotten Harvest on an annual basis."
About Forgotten Harvest
Oak Park, Michigan-based Forgotten Harvest was formed in 1990 to fight two problems: hunger and waste. Forgotten Harvest "rescued" over 41.5 million pounds of food last year by collecting surplus prepared and perishable food from over 800 locations, including grocery stores, fruit and vegetable markets, restaurants, caterers, dairies, farmers, wholesale food distributors, and other Health Department-approved sources. This donated food, which would otherwise go to waste, is delivered free-of-charge to over 250 emergency food providers in the metro Detroit area. Learn more about Forgotten Harvest and how to help drive hunger from our community at www.forgottenharvest.org.
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