SAN DIEGO, CA – Sometimes we all need a little help getting our New Year’s resolutions to stick, whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, or giving back. In an effort to encourage more in our industry to kick off the New Year right, United Fresh is hosting a golf tournament and gala at its inaugural United Fresh Start Foundation conference to encourage all to give back to the community, while fitting in some exercise and fun. On January 16, 2018, join retailers and foodservice VIPs from across the country for the 2018 United Fresh Start Foundation Golf Tournament and Gala to support and increase children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
“This is our first annual United Fresh Start Foundation Conference, and we’re pretty excited,” Jeff Oberman, Vice President, Trade Relations, tells me. “This event is dedicated to the United Fresh Start Foundation, which is focused on increasing children’s access to fruits and vegetables. Everything about this event is centered around giving back. Proceeds from the Conference will help the foundation’s Community Grants Program which helps to support organizations across the country who share in our mission of a healthy future for kids, in addition to ongoing efforts to identify school systems that want to increase fresh produce on the lunch menus, and help United Fresh promote a strong message on behalf of the industry to increase fruits and vegetables in traditional school lunch programs.”
The half-day golf tournament will feature a $10,000 Putt For Cash competition, as well as contest holes including Longest Drive, Closest-to-the-Pin, and a $20,000 Hole-in-One competition–not to mention the spud gun fundraiser on the 12th hole. And the industry won’t be playing alone. This year, you can play with retailer and foodservice VIPs from Albertsons, AmazonFresh, Costco, Hy-Vee, McDonald’s, Southeastern Grocers, Raley’s, and more.
The annual Gala Dinner will also recognize the recipient of United Fresh’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award, Hugh Topper, Group Vice President of Fresh Foods for H-E-B. Participation in the United Fresh Start Foundation Golf Tournament is set at $300 per player. Those who don’t want to lug their golf clubs across the country, but want to participate, can rent clubs for $75, which also includes two sleeves of golf balls.
The upcoming United Fresh conference will take place January 16-18 at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego. Join United Fresh on the green for a day of golf and giving back. To register and learn more about this inaugural event, click here.
“This year we’re really looking to increase the value we deliver to our membership throughout the year with different programs, and this conference is one of them,” Jeff continues. “In sunny San Diego, we’re featuring our Retail and Foodservice VIPs throughout the event. We’ll start with the golf tournament on Tuesday, and then that evening we will have the gala that will feature over 50 silent and exciting live auction items. On Wednesday, there will be education forums where attendees will hear from Community Grant Program recipient Alexander Justice Moore from the DC Central Kitchen in Washington, DC, as well as how retailers are taking advantage of the fruit and vegetable snack program to engage their communities and youngest shoppers. This program will feature panelists like Mike Orf, Assistant Vice President, Produce Operations, from Hy-Vee as well as Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award Winner Chef Ype Von Hengst, Co-Founder and Executive Chef at the Silver Diner in Rockville, MD.”
We look forward to seeing you next month in San Diego!
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