Judith Gatti, executive director of Feeding South Florida™ (formerly Daily Bread Food Bank), is pleased to announce that Lee Brian Schrager, noted philanthropist and prominent member of the wine and food industry, has been named an Honorary Board Member for Feeding South Florida. Schrager, who is very active in the fight against hunger and greatly committed to helping food banks, will lend his support to help Feeding South Florida serve the growing, record number of hungry residents in South Florida.
Schrager, Vice President of Corporate Communications & National Events at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. is known for his creation of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival® and more recently the launch of the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. Central to Schrager’s business philosophy is the notion of giving back to the community, and appropriately both Festivals are registered non-profit organizations. The South Beach Wine & Food Festival® benefits the Florida International University (FIU) School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center located on campus. Proceeds from the New York City Wine & Food Festival benefit the hunger relief organizations Share Our Strength® and Food Bank For New York City.
Now, with Schrager’s help, a portion of food left over from the South Beach Wine & Food Festival® is donated to Feeding South Florida. This food donation will help support over 700 different charitable feeding programs throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach Counties, and ultimately be distributed to people such as needy children, the working poor, people who are physically or mentally ill or challenged, single mothers, homeless individuals and families, senior citizens and people living HIV/AIDS.
“We are honored to have Mr. Schrager on our Board,” said Gatti. “He is not only a highly renowned figure in the food and wine industry, but will be a wonderful advocate in the fight to end hunger. His support will be a great asset for Feeding South Florida.”
Additionally, Schrager is working on the release of his first book, Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, November 16th, 2010, $35/hardcover). Like the overall Festival, all proceeds from the book will benefits FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
An active philanthropist, Schrager was a founding member of the White Party, a benefit for South Florida’s oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization, Care Resource; Chairman of the Make A Wish Foundation Gala for the past 10 years; Chairman for Jackson Memorial Hospitals Golden Angels Gala for 4 years; as well as a current member of the Board of Directors for the Food Bank for New York City. He received the prestigious Food Arts Silver Spoon award in January of 2008 for his creation of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival®, and was inducted into the BizBash Hall of Fame in April 2010.
For more information, please call (954) 518-1818 or visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org.