Food Bank For New York City to Welcome Special Guest Speaker Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State, to Annual Can Do Awards Dinner on April 21st at Cipriani Wall Street

Food Bank For New York City to Welcome Special Guest Speaker Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State, to Annual Can Do Awards Dinner on April 21st at Cipriani Wall Street

NEW YORK, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York State, will be Food Bank For New York City's special guest speaker at the 13(th) Annual Can Do Awards Dinner, presented by Bank of America, on Tuesday, April 21(st) at Cipriani Wall Street. Food Bank For New York City -- the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs -- will honor its partners in the fight against hunger -- Tom Colicchio and Lori Silverbush, Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Sandra Lee-Simply Living Publishing.

Mario Batali and Susan Cahn, long-time Food Bank supporters and the 2013 Can Do Award honorees, serve as this year's Honorary Chairs. Emcees for the evening are ABC's "The Chew" Co-hosts, Mario Batali, Carla Hall and Daphne Oz. Nashville's Grammy Award-winning country music group, Little Big Town (www.littlebigtown.com) will be the special musical guest, bringing some of their biggest hits to the Can Do Awards.

"On a night when we honor our partners in the fight against hunger, we are so proud to include among them a true champion in the commitment to hunger relief, our very own Governor Andrew Cuomo," said Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City and Chair of the New York State Anti-Hunger Task Force. "Governor Cuomo recognizes that our state cannot thrive when one in seven of our fellow New Yorkers is at risk of hunger. On behalf of the three million New Yorkers who rely on our state's food banks, I thank Governor Cuomo for including a $4.5 million down payment on New York's future by investing in our emergency food system and other anti-hunger programs in the newly adopted State budget."

More than 600 guests are expected to fill the room in support of Food Bank For New York City's fight against hunger. The evening unites an extraordinary array of people including musicians, artists, actors, culinary greats and other caring New Yorkers in the fight to end hunger in New York City.

The Can Do Awards Dinner is instrumental in helping provide support for the 1.5 million New Yorkers who rely on Food Bank programs and services, including one in five children. New York's most vulnerable families have lost more than 56 million meals as a result of the November 2013 cuts to SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). Food pantries and soup kitchens have confronted additional need without an adequate supply of food. Can Do celebrates what each of us 'can do' to help fight hunger in New York City. Since their inception, the Can Do Awards have raised more than 12 million dollars, helping to provide 60 million meals for New Yorkers in need. Every dollar donated to Food Bank For New York City helps provide five meals.

Tables/Tickets can be purchased by calling the Can Do Awards Benefit Office at 212-867-1777, by emailing events@foodbanknyc.org/ or go to: http://www.foodbanknyc.org/cando

About Food Bank For New York City
Food Bank For New York City has been the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank takes a strategic, multifaceted approach that provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Through its network of more than 1,000 charities and schools citywide, Food Bank provides food for more than 63 million free meals for New Yorkers in need. Food Bank For New York City's income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $100 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. In addition, Food Bank's nutrition education programs and services empower more than 275,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet on a low budget.

To learn more about how you can help, please visit foodbanknyc.org. Follow us on Facebook (FoodBank4NYC), Twitter (@FoodBank4NYC) and Instagram (FoodBank4NYC).

Media Contacts:
Press Here Tel: 212-246-2640
Linda Carbone/ linda@presshereproductions.com
Carleen Donovan/ carleen@pressherepublicity.com
Jaclyn Ulman/ Jaclyn@pressherepublicity.com
Carol Schneider/212-566-7855, ext. 2231/ cschneider@foodbanknyc.org



SOURCE Food Bank For New York City

Food Bank For New York City


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