This June 27-29, 150 all-star chefs will step out of the kitchen and onto the seat of a bicycle to ride 300 miles in three days along the California coast with Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry®, an endurance-cycling fundraiser benefitting Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign.
Celebrity chef Cat Cora and Food Network’s Duff Goldman will join returning riders from the culinary world including Jason Roberts, Jeff Mahin, Mary Sue Milliken, Bryan Voltaggio, Seamus Mullen and more, to push their physical and mental limits in the name of ending childhood hunger in America. Currently, 1 in 5 children struggle with hunger.
Now in its second year, Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry has hit upon an emerging niche in the culinary community—long-distance cycling—and chefs are flocking to the meet the challenge of fighting childhood hunger with chain grease and sweat equity. Last year, Chefs Cycle raised $150,000. Every $1 donated connects a child with 10 meals, and this year, chef riders have set an aggressive goal of raising 10 million meals.
“Everywhere we go, more and more chefs are saying they love to ride—and if they aren’t cycling yet, they want to,” says Debbie Shore, Share Our Strength co-founder and Chefs Cycle innovator. “It makes complete sense: These are highly driven, goal-oriented, uncompromising chefs who have to, on top of running successful restaurants and business, find the time to stay healthy while surrounded by amazing food all day. It was a natural fit for No Kid Hungry to offer our talented chef supporters this outlet to fight hunger outside of the kitchen.”
Open to the entire culinary community, Chefs Cycle will kick off in Carmel, Calif., and end with an all-star celebration in Santa Barbara. Along the way, they will visit No Kid Hungry program sites to see the impact their ride will have on the kids who face hunger every day, but are getting the food they need because of No Kid Hungry and its partners.
“It’s no secret that hunger will stand in the way of a child’s success, and, as a chef, I understand the power of food to fuel the mind and body,” says Cat Cora. “I’m also not afraid of hard work, so if I can make sure more kids will never know hunger and be given the chance to succeed because I logged 300 miles on a bike, it will be more than worth it.”
Chefs who register for Chefs Cycle gain access to training programs from Endorphin Cycling, personal fundraising resources, and enter into a community of committed culinary cyclists who are marrying their passions for food, fitness and philanthropy.
“Chefs Cycle is as bold and intense as the chefs who ride,” says Jason Roberts, a Chefs Cycle originator who has raised $26,000 for No Kid Hungry as a chef supporter and rider. “It’s an honor to come together with this amazing community of chefs who refuse to see another generation of kids go without the food they need to succeed. The ride itself is just the gravy on top of an already amazing experience.”
Other new recruits to Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry are New Orleans pastry queen Lisa White, Hedley & Bennett chef-wear creator Ellen Bennett, modern mixologist Tony AbouGanim, two-time James Beard winner Traci Des Jardins, and more. For a complete list of chef riders, to register as a rider, or donate to a favorite chef, visit www.chefscycle.org.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America, but 1 in 5 kids will face hunger this year. Using proven, practical solutions, No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger today by ensuring that kids start the day with a nutritious breakfast and families learn the skills they need to shop and cook on a budget. When we all work together, we can make sure kids get the healthy food they need. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of national anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength. Follow at NoKidHungry.org.
