NECI Hosts the First Annual ‘Great Pumpkin Competition and Silent Auction’ to Benefit Hike for Hunger

 NECI Hosts the First Annual ‘Great Pumpkin Competition and Silent Auction’

to Benefit Hike for Hunger

Rarely does a day of sipping on apple cider and carving jack o lanterns directly improve the lives of Vermont’s youth.  On Sunday, October 25, 2009 New England Culinary Institute (NECI) students promise to deliver on both. Hosted by NECI, the first Annual Great Pumpkin Competition and Silent Auction will include a pumpkin carving competition, a pie sale and a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger’s 13th annual Hike for Hunger event.

October is Hike for Hunger month and NECI is scheduled to hike Owl’s Head Mountain in Groton State Forest to raise money for the Cooking for Life nutrition education classes.  “The goal of Cooking for Life is to empower parents and youth to make healthy choices,” says Rebecca O’Reilly, Nutrition Education Coordinator of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. “With increased skills in nutrition and low-cost meal preparation, families can stretch food dollars further and feel good about providing healthy options for their families.  It is one thing we all can do to decrease the risk of hunger for Vermont children and families.”

In addition to collecting pledges, NECI students are organizing a charity fundraiser to take place from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, on Sunday, October 25, 2009 outside Alumni Hall on the Vermont College of Fine Arts campus.  Student volunteers will spend the morning carving pumpkins donated from area farms to be judged and placed on the auction block at 2 pm. The public is invited to cast votes for each of the pumpkin categories and will have the opportunity to enjoy hot apple cider while enjoying the festivities. Interested parties can bid on carved pumpkins and other donated items during the day and need not be present to win the auction.

Jennifer Livingston, NECI’s Student Life Coordinator, says “Our students have done a tremendous job in seeking pledges for this very worthwhile cause, but we also recognize that it can be challenging for people to support local charities in these tough economic times.  We hope that pies made from our skilled Baking and Pastry students and intricately carved jack o lanterns for Halloween will entice the Montpelier community to participate in our fundraiser while raising much needed funds and awareness for programs that address hunger in Vermont.”

For more information about the NECI Great Pumpkin Competition and Silent Auction, please contact Jennifer Livingston at 802.917.3924.  

Hike for Hunger 2009 is sponsored by City Market, National Life Group, and Northfield Savings Bank.

The Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger is a statewide nonprofit organization that works with state agencies and community groups to develop sustainable hunger solutions. Since 1993 the Campaign’s outreach programs have substantially enhanced Vermont’s nutrition safety net and increased access to nutritious foods. www.vtnohunger.org

Cooking for Life is a collaboration of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger and University of Vermont Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, (EFNEP). The program provides parents with nutrition information as well as hands on experience so that they can learn how to make healthy choices and prepare affordable meals. During the six-week course, parents learn practical information about budgeting, shopping, and healthy cooking techniques. Parents take an active role in the classes by preparing healthy meals in the kitchen, and then taking home the recipes along with necessary ingredients so that they can share the experience with their families.

New England Culinary Institute (www.neci.edu), founded in 1980, is widely recognized for its innovative immersion style of education. Its graduates are often sought after the world over for their level of skill and preparation.

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