Volunteers needed for 2nd annual Tomato Crush to benefit Second Harvest
AUGUST 23, 2016 at 12:51 p.m.

Volunteers are needed at the Knoxville Convention Center on Saturday, August 27, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. to help prepare hundreds of healthy, premade meals for hungry families across East Tennessee.

The event benefits Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee. Volunteers will assist in preparing fresh tomatoes for processing into red sauce to be used in a variety of dishes. Volunteers also are invited to bring locally grown or canned tomatoes to donate to Second Harvest.

“Last year, we had a great turnout to help the Knoxville Convention Center staff prepare more than 1,000 gallons of healthy, red tomato sauce for Second Harvest Food Bank,” Convention Center Executive Chef Chris Moore said. “We need volunteers of all ages and skill levels to help us exceed last year’s donation. No culinary experience is required. There are many different tasks, and several chefs are available to help supervise.”

Sysco, US Foods and local farmers have donated tomatoes, onions, garlic and other ingredients for volunteers to turn into sauce. Approximately 80 volunteers from the University of Tennessee Culinary Arts program have signed up for Saturday’s event.

The idea for the event stemmed from conversations about the lack of fresh, healthy ingredients in the local food system – and its effect on the population – among members of the Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy Council and Gail Root, programs director for Second Harvest.

This year’s Tomato Crush is being held in memory of one of the founders of the event, James Bosi, who served on the leadership of the Food Policy Council and was business development manager at Sysco. Bosi was a champion for changing the conversation about healthy eating in East Tennessee. He passed away in March after a long battle with cancer.

“James was an instrumental part of the planning and vision for this event,” Moore said. “We are sad that he is not here with us this year, but we also hope to honor his passion and drive to create access to healthy food options for all East Tennesseans by holding this event in his memory.”

Low-income families often are faced with limitations on the types of food they can afford. Prepackaged foods are less expensive than fresh produce but usually carry extra calories and sugars that lead to obesity and other health problems.

Last year’s event provided 32,000 meal portions of healthy, nutritional tomato sauce to food insecure families in East Tennessee. Many families who are food insecure do not have regular access to healthy fruits and vegetables and are therefore at risk for health problems associated with poor nutrition. The Tomato Crush event is designed to supplement Second Harvest’s regular food distribution with freshly prepared meals that are easy, healthy and nutritious for families.

The Knoxville Convention Center is a regular contributor to Second Harvest’s Food Rescue program, which gathers prepared and perishable foods to distribute to hunger relief agencies. The Knoxville Convention Center is the largest local contributor of prepared food to Second Harvest.

Once prepared, the sauce will be vacuum sealed and frozen for distribution by Second Harvest. The packages will come with recipes and potential uses for the red sauce.

Volunteers interested in participating in the event should meet at the Clinch Avenue entrance of the Convention Center between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Aug. 27. Participants will be taken to the industrial kitchen on the hour and half-hour. Parking is available at the Poplar Street lot and the Locust Street Garage.

If possible, interested volunteers should contact the Knoxville Convention Center in advance at 865-522-5669. Notification of participation is requested but not required.

The Knoxville Convention Center, managed by SMG, is located in downtown Knoxville adjacent to the Sunsphere. For more information, visit www.knoxvilleconventioncenter.com.

SMG provides management services to more than 230 public assembly facilities including convention and exhibition centers, arenas, stadiums, theatres, performing arts centers, equestrian facilities, science centers, and a variety of other venues. For more information visit www.smgworld.com

Published August 23, 2016