San Diego (Jan. 17, 2008) –  More than 100,000 pounds of perishable and non-perishable specialty food items and $10,000 in cash were donated to San Diego charities this week at the conclusion of the 2008 Winter Fancy Food and Confection Show at the San Diego Convention Center. The show is among the largest to be held at the Center this year, with an estimated attendance of 24,000, including 1,100 specialty foods exhibitors from around the world.

Volunteers from “Feed the Children,” a non-profit relief organization that provides food and other necessities to families in need, pitched in during the final hours of the show to help package the exhibitors’ food for delivery to several San Diego area charities. An estimated 100,000 pounds of food – or the equivalent of 100,000 meals was donated. The volunteers all wore special T-shirts provided by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), sponsor of the annual Winter Fancy Food Show.

“Our exhibitors really take to this (donations program),” said Bill Lynch, NASFT operations director. “It’s such a great benefit and a great thing all around.”
 
San Diego’s Meals on Wheels program, which provides home-delivered meals services to people in need, also benefited from the 2008 Fancy Food and Confection event. Ticket sales from a “Meet the Tastemakers” reception on January 13 featuring gourmet fare from 25 area restaurants raised more than $10,000 for the local Meals on Wheels program.

“I know I speak for all San Diegans when I say how grateful we are for these generous donations from the Fancy Food and Confection Show attendees to our local charities” said San Diego Convention Center Corporation President and CEO Carol Wallace. “The Convention Center takes great pride in being able to offer our clients and their exhibitors the opportunity to donate usable materials at the conclusion of their events through our own Donations Program. But NASFT has gone above and beyond in its efforts.”

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation is a public benefit corporation created by the City of San Diego. The Corporation is exclusively responsible for marketing, managing and operating the Convention Center. In its 18-year history, the Center has generated nearly $13 billion in economic impact, over $270 million in tax revenues and continues to serve as San Diego’s premier gathering place.

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