Feb 14, 2018

ARLINGTON, VA –The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation fundraising event, Stir It Up!, featured all-star teams of retailer and supplier executives dishing up their finest family meals and striving for top honors and bragging rights. The Jan. 28 event in Miami at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference and related activities garnered $1.1 million to support the role of food retailing through research and education in the areas of food safety, nutrition and health.

StirItUpMapSusan Borra, RD, executive director of the FMI Foundation, said: “Five hundred Stir It Up! attendees participated in the exclusive Stir It Up! culinary competition serving as judges, voting on their favorite family meals in an array of categories. The competing meals encompassed more than 20 dishes and sides for participants to taste and select their favorites.  Along with the food, fun and fundraising, the event shined a spotlight on the importance of family meals and the food retail industry’s dedication to National Family Meals Month™ in September.”

The following kitchen teams were awarded the “2018 Gold Mitt Awards” based on popular vote:

  • The Coca-Cola Company won Healthiest Family Meal
    • Quick & Easy Kale + Chorizo Toast
    • Barq’s Root Beer Glazed Salmon Bowl
    • Peach Cobbler
    • Two Specialty Flavors of Coca-Cola
  • Hy-Vee, Inc.  with their partner Wahlburger won Tastiest Family Meal
    • The Our Burger
    • BBQ Bacon Burger
    • Tater Tots
    • Sweet Potato Tots
    • S’Mores Frappe
    • Fluffanuttahh Frappe
  • PepsiCo, Inc. won Most Affordable Family Meal
    • Bison Sliders with Tostitos Queso Blanco and Quaker Oats
    • Lay’s Salt & Vinegar Fish & Chips, Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Tropicana Slaw
    • Ice Cream Sandwiches with Quaker Oats Real Medley Blueberry Pecan and Naked Mighty Mango Sorbet
  • Wakefern Food Corp. won Best Culinary Adventure and Easiest Family Meals
    • Grilled Mojito Shrimp Cocktail
    • Grilled Guava Chicken Tacos with Pickled Cabbage
    • Grilled Pineapple Rice
    • Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)
FMI Foundation and the Trump® National Doral Miami donated all the remaining foodservice items, packaged goods and cleaning supplies to a local nonprofit organization, Branches. The donation equated to nearly 10 cargo loads of food and supplies to support Branches’ mission of helping working families and their children break the cycle of generational poverty.