OAKLAND/CLEVELAND The Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers are battling it out in the NBA Finals for a third conon the hardwood for a third consecutive years. Cavaliers battle in the NBA Finals won’t happen only on the hardwood: fans will also compete in the Third Annual Food Bank Finals Challenge to see who can be the most generous when it comes to supporting their local food banks.
This year, the Food Bank Finals Challenge welcomes San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, given the Warriors future move to San Francisco. Warriors fans are being asked to make donations to the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank or the Alameda County Community Food Bank, while Cavaliers fans are being encouraged to donate to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. The three food banks have set a collective goal to raise $100,000. In honor of the NBA Finals “Rubber Match,” The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will match the total funds raised by the organizations, up to $20,000.
Donations can be made online:
Warriors fans, please donate to:
• San Francisco-Marin Food Bank at www.sfmfoodbank.org/FoodBankFinals
OR
• Alameda County Community Food Bank at www.accfb.org/FoodBankFinals
Cavaliers fans, please donate to:
• Greater Cleveland Food Bank at www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org/FoodBankFinals
“We anticipate the Food Bank Finals Challenge will be just as competitive as the NBA Finals. We know Warriors fans will rise to the challenge and we will expect nothing less from Cavaliers fans.” Said San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Executive Director Paul Ash.
“The Warriors and Cavaliers have some of the greatest fans in the NBA. We’re grateful to our partner food banks and the fans of both teams who will be channeling their passions to help a cause that’s important to both regions, and the entire country,” said Suzan Bateson, Executive Director of Alameda County Community Food Bank.
“This has become a rivalry that our cities’ fans have come to look forward to – both on and off the court. Our teams have worked hard to get to the finals and we know our fans in Cleveland will work hard to help us raise more money,” said Kristin Warzocha, President and CEO, Greater Cleveland Food Bank.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is supporting local food bank fundraising efforts in lieu of her friendly wagers with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. “I am excited to team up with Alameda County Community Food Bank once again to help raise awareness to the issue of food insecurity in our region as we cheer on the 2017 Warriors championship run. Through our incredible passion and generosity, this community can bring another title home to Oakland and, more importantly, raise critical funds for local families struggling with hunger.”
“I’m proud to join the Food Bank Finals Challenge and I’m confident Bay Area residents will bring the same drive and teamwork to supporting our local food bank that brought our Warriors to the NBA Finals,” added San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. “Providing nutritious food for families and children empowers our neighbors and supports the health and well-being of our community. That is a win for everyone.”
Every dollar raised will remain local to provide healthy food to families in need living within each Food Bank’s respective service areas. For every $1 donated the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank distributes $5 worth of food. The Alameda County Community Food Bank can provide $6 worth of food; for every $1 donated the Greater Cleveland Food Bank provides $8 worth of food.
CONTACTS:
• Mark Seelig, PR Manager, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, 415-282-1907 x270; cell: 415-246-9146
• Mike Altfest, Associate Director of Communications and Marketing, Alameda County Community Food Bank 510-635-3663 x330; cell: 510-684-8655
• Karen Pozna, Director of Communications, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, 216-738-2132, cell: 216-214-9436
• Doug Grassian, Director, Consumer Communications, Goodyear, 330-796-3855; cell: 407-376-9429
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About San Francisco-Marin Food Bank
The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank’s mission is to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin, where one in four neighbors is at risk of hunger. We envision a community where everyone is able to obtain enough nutritious food in a dignified manner to support the health and well-being of themselves and their families. We address hunger head on: from our pantry network and home-delivered groceries, to our nutrition-education classes and food-stamp enrollment, we work in many ways to nourish and empower neighbors in need. Every week, 30,000 households count on us for food assistance. Nearly 60 percent of what we distribute is fresh fruits and vegetables. Learn more at www.sfmfoodbank.org.
About Alameda County Community Food Bank
Alameda County Community Food Bank—Feeding America’s 2016 Food Bank of the Year–has been at the forefront of hunger relief efforts in the Bay Area since 1985. This year, the Food Bank will distribute the equivalent of 30 million meals. More than half of the food distributed is farm-fresh produce. The
Food Bank serves 1 in 5 Alameda County residents by distributing food through a network of 240 food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community organizations, as well as direct-distribution programs including Children’s Backpack and Mobile Pantry. For ten consecutive years, Alameda County Community Food Bank has received Charity Navigator’s top rating — Four Stars — ranking the organization among the top 1 percent of charities nationwide. Learn more at www.accfb.org.
About Greater Cleveland Food Bank
The Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio, providing over 50 million meals in 2016 to hungry people in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland and Richland counties. Our mission is to ensure that everyone in our communities has the nutritious food they need every day. We do this through both food distribution and SNAP outreach efforts. The best and easiest way to help is to go online: visit us at www.greaterclevelandfoodbank.org.
About Goodyear
Goodyear (NASDAQ: GT), founded in 1898 in Akron, is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs approximately 66,000 people and manufactures its products in 48 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com.
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