Hurry: Photo Contest Voting Ends Friday!
Nearly 40 different groups have stepped-up this year to show how they "Rally to Tally" meals in the fight against hunger. They've captured images from a variety campaign planning & meal-raising activities for Operation Feed's second annual Photo Contest, and now it's time to vote for our favorites! Between now and August 17, everyone (your associates included, of course!) will have the opportunity to visit Mid-Ohio Foodbank's Facebook page to "like" their favorites, and photos with the most "likes" will be chosen as finalists. The winner will be determined by applause-o-meter at our Campaign Finale event and will be used in Operation Feed 2013 marketing & materials. Please lend a hand by sharing the Photo Contest album with your associates, and encouraging them to cast their votes by Friday. Thanks for your help, and may the best photo win! |
FOODFIGHT Results Are In
 FOODFIGHT was back this summer for another record-breaking event. Hosted by the Central Ohio Restaurants Association Foundation, FOODFIGHT allows restaurants across central Ohio to support neighbors in need by pledging 5% percent of a day's food & beverage sales to Operation Feed. Members of the community are encouraged to "eat out to fight hunger" by visiting participating restaurants for breakfast, lunch & dinner, all in the name of fighting hunger. The 2012 event will raise approximately $25,000--a 50% increase over last year!
Operation Feed's Marketing Committee worked extensively to support the event, pursuing new promotional avenues (including media partnerships with Columbus Alive! & CD102.5), coordinating a collateral design competition with Bradford School students and working to recruit new restaurant partners. And their efforts paid off! 30 new restaurant organizations came on board--including Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams shops, Northstar Café locations, the Mezzo/Hubbard Grille group & several Dine Originals members--nearly doubling the 2011 restaurant listing. Operation Feed partner, OhioHealth, also stepped up to sponsor printing of event materials--a huge benefit to the initiative.
Looking ahead to the fifth year of FOODFIGHT, CORA and restaurant representatives, Marketing Committee members, and event stakeholders are meeting next week for a special event strategy session. Sparkspace--a creative/brainstorming-oriented meeting & conference center in the Arena District--is hosting the meeting, which hopefully will yield many great ideas and suggestions for strengthening future events. Stay tuned for updates...and in the mean time, mark your calendars for next year's FOODFIGHT: Wednesday, June 26, 2013! |
RSVP for the Campaign Finale
 This year's finale event will be held next Thursday (August 23), at the Founders Club at Nationwide Arena. Those involved with Operation Feed will come together for an announcement of total meals raised, selection of the photo contest winner, and recognition of outstanding campaigns (30 awards are being presented, and one just might be for your group!). We hope you'll join us to celebrate another successful community-wide hunger-fighting effort.
Invitations were sent to representatives from all participating organizations. This is a wonderful way to engage the leadership of your organization, so please encourage them to attend. RSVP is requested by Friday. Hope to see you there! |
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: Columbus Hospitality
 NorthPointe Hotel and Conference Center is considered a veteran in the Operation Feed world. This being their fifth year participating, they know the ropes and have integrated a passion to fight hunger into their company's culture. With an internal transition underway, however, they also knew that this year it might be harder to meet their Operation Feed goal. With the ever-increasing need, they decided to collaborate outside of their own four walls and to make an even bigger impact this year.
NorthPointe Hotel and Conference Center is managed by Columbus Hospitality, a company committed to community involvement through events such as Habitat for Humanity and Race for the Cure. With nine locations throughout the state of Ohio, they decided to add another important cause to their list: Operation Feed. Columbus Hospitality Corporate Office collaborated with NorthPointe Hotel and Conference Center to gain the support of all nine Ohio locations this year - and the results have really paid off! Columbus Hospitality was able to raise a stunning total of 14,732 meals, nearly four times what NorthPointe did alone last year - proving that we can simply do more together! Even the Max and Erma's inside of the Crown Plaza Hotel (managed by Columbus Hospitality) became a FOODFIGHT partner this year, furthering their involvement!
Missy Thompson, campaign coordinator at NorthPointe, described a few highlights from their exciting 2012 campaign as all employees pull together as a team, an outside contractor bringing in pails of grocery items to support the cause and a common one: adding up the donations at the end of the campaign!
Jessica Lagarce, campaign coordinator from Columbus Hospitality Corporate Office, told us that, "the executive team found it important to participate in its own campaign in efforts to lead by example. Although there are only eight of us in the office, we had a great time during our campaign... We also had a lot of fun volunteering at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank; it was really nice for the group to be out supporting a good cause while having a great time!"
Organizations that are part of an association or partnership have a unique opportunity to look beyond their own organization to exponentially increase through Operation Feed. Kudos to NorthPointe and Columbus Hospitality for thinking outside the box and stretching even further to help our hungry friends and neighbors. Thanks for leading by example and showing us that collaboration can yield great success!
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Share Your Feedback, Help Strengthen Operation Feed
Your partnership with Mid-Ohio Foodbank is the essential component of Operation Feed's ability to provide food for thousands of local families in need. As the 2012 drive winds down, your input is requested. We value your campaign expertise, and your feedback will help us provide tools and support to make coordination efforts as convenient and effective as possible.
Please take a few minutes to tell us about your experience. Just visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/EvaluateOpFeed to access an online evaluation. Responses are anonymous and should require approximately 10 minutes to submit. Thanks in advance for your comments.
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Support Mid-Ohio Foodbank This Summer
Events and Promotions To learn about upcoming events and promotions, you can always visit the Foodbank's Events page at www.midohiofoodbank.org/news-events/events. |
Key Campaign Dates
- Photo Contest Voting Cutoff - Friday, August 17
- Campaign Finale - Thursday, August 23, at the Nationwide Arena Founders Club
- Contribution Deadline for Operation Feed 2012 - September 30
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Next Steps
- RSVP for the Campaign Finale event.
- Share the Photo Contest voting link with your associates.
- Submit any remaining donations, and share campaign results with Operation Feed.
- Complete the coordinator evaluation form.
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