Downtown Greensboro Celebrates 6th Annual WFMY News 2 Winterfest

"WFMY News 2 Winterfest will celebrate its 6th Annual Grand Opening on Tues., Nov. 17 with the Chick-fil-A Chill Out Block Party. The public is invited to enjoy playing in snow, ice skating, sledding, carriage rides, inflatables, face painting, live music by Eric & the Chill Tones and food provided by Chick-fil-A. Admission and activities are free with the donation of a non-perishable food item. Harvest Food Bank will be present to collect donated food items.

WFMY News 2, Greensboro's local news station, has returned for the 6th straight year as title sponsor of Piedmont Winterfest. "WFMY News 2 Winterfest captures the joy of the winter season and provides the perfect backdrop for creating lifelong memories,” said Larry Audas, WFMY News 2 President and General Manager. “We are a community station and WFMY News 2 Winterfest is the perfect community attraction. We look forward to taking the ice with the rest of the Triad.” Downtown Greensboro Incorporated will continue as the official non-profit sponsor of WFMY News 2 Winterfest. The Downtown Residents Association will also provide marketing and promotional assistance.

WFMY News 2 Winterfest is the only seasonal outdoor ice rink and ice slide in the Triad. Well over 30,000 attendees enjoy this Downtown Greensboro tradition annually. This year's event will again be hosted by The Railyard at 120 Barnhardt Street adjacent to The Worx and Spice Cantina restaurants. WFMY News 2 Winterfest's season will open Nov. 17, 2015 and continue through Jan. 31, 2016. Follow the latest details on our event website: www.piedmontwinterfest.com"

- A Press Release

Mast General Store teams with Second Harvest Food Bank: Food for Kids Helps Learning, Behavior, & Self Esteem

"If you could do one thing that would improve a child’s self-esteem, help facilitate better behavior, and increase his or her learning potential, wouldn’t you do it? It is easy. Just make sure that the child is not hungry. One in five children are food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Merrell Footwear and Mast General Store are teaming up with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina to provide Food for Kids. For each pair of Merrell footwear purchased from October 14 until 31 at the Mast Store in Winston-Salem, Merrell will donate funds to fill a backpack with food for the weekend.

The Second Harvest’s Backpack Program is a collaboration with public schools in the food bank’s 18-county service area. Teachers watch for signs that a student may be food insecure – signs like hoarding food in the cafeteria, taking food from other children’s trays, or even scavenging food from trash cans to eat later or over the weekend. Once identified, these students are given backpacks filled with easily-prepared food for the weekend, enough to feed themselves and any siblings that may be at home. Backpacks are returned on Monday morning to be refilled.

Teachers report better participation, self-esteem, and behavior as a result of the Food for Kids backpack program.

“Merrell believes in the importance of giving a child a good foundation to grow, learn, and just be a kid,” said Fred Martin, president of Mast General Store. “We are proud to have vendor partners that take an interest in helping us address some of the human needs in our communities.”

While hunger is a complicated social issue, it’s not hard or expensive to help. Literally, any donation amount can make a difference. At the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, they can turn $1 into seven meals. In addition to Merrell’s contribution, the Mast Store will be accepting contributions in change jars to help the Food for Kids program even more.

For more information about how you can help fight hunger in your community, visit www.hungernwnc.org."

- A Press Release

TRIAD COMMUNITY KITCHEN HOLDS FIRST GRADUATION OF 2015

Students from the 24^th class complete culinary training program

Pictured (left to right): Chef Dennie Veasey, Chef Instructor;

Tina M. Matthews; Michael J. Franciosa;

Chef Jeff Bacon, Program Director/Executive

Chef; Leo R. Johnson; James R. Melton.

"On Tuesday, Jan. 27, the Triad Community Kitchen (TCK) culinary training program held a graduation ceremony for the 24^th class to complete the course. Michael J. Franciosa of Yadkin County, Leo R. Johnson and Tina M. Matthews, both of Winston-Salem and James R. Melton of Guilford County received certificates and a set of chef’s knives to begin their culinary careers. In addition, Mr. Johnson was nominated by his peers in the program as “Most Outstanding Classmate.”

Triad Community Kitchen is a program of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC and operates under the direction of Chef Jeff Bacon, an ACF Certified Executive Chef and member of the American Academy of Chefs.

The culinary program provides training and job placement in the food industry to unemployed and under-employed individuals. Each session meets for 13 weeks and includes certification in ServSafe® sanitation, basic culinary and baking skills, knife skills, mass food and catering production and a one-week internship with a local food service organization or restaurant. TCK students have the opportunity to “give back” and support Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission through the preparation of ready-to-heat meals distributed to partner food assistance programs, including community kitchens, emergency shelters and others."

- A Press Release

"The excitement continues as a local fundraising organization launched this summer

endeavors to build family relationships as well as raise money for schools, all

while supporting local food. Dates Makes A Difference is a new educational

fundraising model that allocates funds directly to schools through culinary events.

Dates Make A Difference’s premiere community event will take place on Monday,

August 18 from 6:00-8:00pm at Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in Winston-Salem.

“Eat for a Cause” is a farm-to-fork dinner benefitting both Second Harvest Food Bank’

Triad Community Kitchen and Dates Make A Difference. The partnership amps up the

chef fun with TCK Program Director/Executive Chef Jeff Bacon and four other top chefs

in the Triad: Spring House’s Tim Grandinetti, Artisan’s Kevin Reddick, Chris Blackburn

from Josephine’s and Marisol’s Tim Thompson.

It’s called “Eat for a Cause” because the organizations hope to bring the community,

businesses, families and schools together, all in one place, to experience a true farm to

fork experience that’s sure to be delicious. In addition to the tasty food at Eat for a

Cause, Dates Make a Difference will share its vision of supporting businesses, local

food, encouraging families and strengthening education at a local level. This event is

important to both TCK and DMD as it will assist in providing operating funds as we head

into the school year and quarter. The more folks come out, the better chance they have

to learn about two worthwhile causes.

About Dates Make A Difference: 

Dates Make a Difference was founded to introduce a new educational fundraising

model. Direct, identifiable project-based fundraising where students and parents see

dollar-for-dollar where their funds go. A backpack program that sends groceries home

for needy families, an educational field trip, a community garden…all are just an

example of project-based DMD fundraising. ! !

How we do it: We partner with local restaurants and food suppliers to offset the cost of

the event. This lowered cost is passed on to the parents. Our goal is to allocated as

much of the funds raised as possible directly to the project at hand. The focus of the

event meal is on local-grown slow food prepared by local chefs and restaurateurs.!

To learn more, visit our website at www.datesmakeadifference.com, follow on twitter

@datesmakediff or Facebook/Dates Make A Difference."

- A Press Release