The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Levy Restaurants, the official restaurateur of the US Open, teamed up to donate more than 21,000 pounds of unused food to City Harvest following the 2009 US Open.
City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization, is dedicated to feeding New York City’s hungry men, women, and children. In the week following the US Open, City Harvest delivered rescued food to soup kitchens and food pantries across the five boroughs.
“The USTA is focused on being a responsible member of the greater New York City community,” said Danny Zausner, Managing Director, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “This commitment includes reducing the environmental footprint of the US Open and providing for others in need. Donating unused food from the US Open, in coordination with our partner, Levy Restaurants, is a great way to help City Harvest feed our neighbors in the five boroughs.”
“We are very thankful to the USTA and Levy Restaurants and for this generous donation,” said Jilly Stephens, Executive Director at City Harvest. “Our long-standing partnership with the US Open demonstrates their commitment to helping us feed hungry New Yorkers,” she added.
Led by Executive Chef Michael Lockard, Levy Restaurants utilized a 250-person culinary team to serve the record-breaking crowd of more than 721,000 at the US Open Aug. 31 – Sept. 13. Fans had dining options at five restaurants, 60 concession stands and 100 suites on the grounds. Creating a more eco-friendly sports experience, the USTA and Levy Restaurants introduced many new green initiatives this year, including composting of kitchen waste and sourcing of more than 10 percent of all produce from local and regional farms.
Donated food items included: bread, grains, fresh and frozen produce, seafood, dairy, juices and more. Four truckloads of food were picked up by City Harvest in the days following the US Open’s conclusion. The Bethesda Missionary BaptistChurch in Jamaica, Queens received lettuce, celery, yogurt, bread, and milk; Five Loaves and Two Fishes in Brooklyn received hamburgers, rolls, salads, peppers, cucumbers and cheeses; Community Food Pantry of Highbridge in the Bronx received a variety of dairy products including cream, milk, and cheese, frozen vegetables, fresh produce and herbs. Additional locations receiving donations included the Hope Line ResourceCenter in the Bronx and Child Development Support Corporation in Brooklyn.
City Harvest has collected food donations from the US Open for more than 10 years and from Levy Restaurants for the last three years. City Harvest has collected more than 250,000 pounds of food from the US Open since 1998.
About USTA
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with 730,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 94 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA philanthropic entity, USTA Serves, provides grants and scholarships and through tennis, helps underserved youth and people with disabilities to improve academics, build character and strive for excellence. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
About City Harvest
Now serving New York City for more than 25 years, City Harvest is the world’s first food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the city’s hungry men, women, and children. This year, City Harvest will collect more than 25 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to nearly 600 community food programs using a fleet of trucks and bikes as well as volunteers on foot. Each week, City Harvest helps over 260,000 hungry New Yorkers find their next meal. For details, please go here.
About Levy Restaurants
Levy Restaurants, founded in Chicago in 1978, is recognized as one of America’s fastest growing and most critically acclaimed restaurant companies, and is the leader in premium sports and entertainment dining concessions. Levy was recently named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports in the world by Fast Company magazine. The company’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants such as James Beard-winning Spiaggia and Bistro 110 in Chicago, Fulton’s Crab House, Portobello and Wolfgang Puck Grand Café at Walt Disney World Resort, renowned sports and entertainment venues like Lambeau Field in Green Bay, STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and American Airlines Arena in Miami, and events including the Super Bowl, World Series, Kentucky Derby, NHL and NBA All-Star Games and the Grammy Awards. For details, please go here.
