22nd Annual Jacksonville FOODFIGHT

Today I am bringing you a post that does not have anything to do with a recent trip to a local restaurant but with the chefs involved in making these local hot spots happen.  

The 22nd Annual Jacksonville FOODFIGHT will be held at the EverBank Field East Touchdown Club on Thursday, June 7, 2012. The event will feature more than 60 local restaurants, beverage distributors and caterers engaging in a friendly competition showcasing their signature dishes. In addition to the fabulous food and spirits, live entertainment will be provided by the local band Split Tone.
More than 1,200 guests are expected to attend the event and enjoy the samplings provided by the best in the industry. Last year, nearly $100,000 was raised at the event - a record total - with all proceeds benefiting Second Harvest North Florida.  Their mission is to distribute food and grocery products to hungry people and to educate the public about the causes and possible solutions to problems of domestic hunger.  Opening their doors in 1979, the Lutheran Social Services food program began as the Nourishment Network, but became the food bank in 1981 as its services expanded. In 1984, the food bank became a certified member of the national organization, America’s Second Harvest, which changed its name to Feeding America in 2008. The mission of Second Harvest North Florida is to feed hungry people by soliciting and judiciously distributing food and grocery products and to educate the public about the nature of and solutions to the problems of hunger.

This benefit is near and dear to me, as a chef with the Jaguars I have been able to assist by donating product to Second Harvest over the years and have participated in this event for the last few years professionally.  If there is anyway you can make it, I would love to see you out there.

I am sure a lot of you are now asking, "How do I get in?"  You could easily support the cause by purchasing a ticket.  But I have a solution for those of you who are itching to get in and cannot necessarily afford a ticket or simply prefer to spend your tightly knit budget in other ways.  I will be raffling off two tickets to those who help support this blog.  All you have to do is "Like" the Second Harvest of North Florida page, then "Share" this page on Facebook tagging me and Second Harvest and you have earned yourself an entry.  For my Twitter friendly readers "Share" this page on Twitter and tag me, @Jag_Chef and @JaxFOODFIGHT in the post and you have earned yourself another entry, up to four entries a day.   To ensure your efforts are not overlooked, be sure to post a comment here informing me of your efforts. The more you share, the more entries you get, the better chance you have at winning the tickets.