18th Annual Jacksonville FOODFIGHT® to offer city's biggest party, take a bite out of hunger on First Coast

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Ready. Set. FOODFIGHT! Fine food and spirits will abound - along with a festive battle for best culinary presentation - on Thursday, June 5, when the 18th Annual Jacksonville FOODFIGHT® takes place at the Crown Royal Touchdown Club East in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.
 
This year's event will bring together more than 45 of the First Coast's finest restaurants, caterers and beverage wholesalers for a friendly competition where partygoers prove to be the biggest winners. The event has raised more than $800,000 to help fight hunger in Jacksonville over the last 17 years and hopes to raise at least $50,000 this year - with all proceeds benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Florida.
 
"Doing a good thing and having a good time is truly the theme of this great event," said Eddie Fink, chariman of the FOODFIGHT committee, which coordinates the event. "That goes for all who participate - vendors, volunteers and guests. The restaurants and beverage distributors do an incredible job knowing that 100% of the proceeds from the event go to the Second Harvest Food Bank to aid in the fight against hunger and food insecurity in our community.""
 
Tickets for the event are $50, which include tastes of delightful dishes prepared by the top restaurant chefs in the city, along with numerous beverages and live entertainment. In addition, a silent auction will be held during the event, along with a raffle that awards prizes such a 32-inch HDTV flat screen, a Jacksonville Jaguars Experience package, four one-day tickets to Walt Disney World, an iPod Nano, Chick-fil-A for a year and many others.
 
Fink said the event is the party of the year in Jacksonville - but most importantly it is a party for a great cause.
 
The Food Bank has already provided 1.8 million meals this year - 388,000 more meals than at this time a year ago. At this rate, the demand will require the agency to secure an additional 1.5 million pounds of food during the remainder of the year in order to meet the needs of people in the Jacksonville area.
 
For every $1 donated, Second Harvest is able to recover $53 worth of food for distribution to its 515 member agencies. If the FOODFIGHT achieves its goal of $60,000 it will allow the Food Bank to secure more than $3 million worth of food for its clients.
 
The Jacksonville FOODFIGHT® is one of the largest fundraisers of the year for the Second Harvest Food Bank.
 
To order tickets or purchase sponsorship packages, visit www.JacksonvilleFoodFight.org or call 904.739.7074.