Hirai Farms/Annie's Fun recently announced that they will be donating several thousand pounds of fresh and frozen vegetables to Northwest Harvest in 2009 and 2010.

The announcement by Blaine Hirai, the Owner of Hirai Farms and Chair of Annie's Fun, was made during a recent volunteer and food donation event at Northwest Harvest that was sponsored by Sodexo "STOP Hunger" (and also by National Frozen Foods Corporation and Hirai Farms/Annie's Fun) as part of Governor Gregoire's "Feeding Washington".

During the surprise announcement, Blaine Hirai said he was inspired by the overwhelming turnout of volunteers (approximately 100) from Sodexo that attended the event, and by comments that day from representatives of Governor Gregoire's about her commitment to helping those in need in Washington State.

"With our pledge to make a substantial contribution of fresh and frozen vegetables, we are making a commitment to feed hundreds and thousands of people," stated Hirai.

This donation of fresh and frozen vegetables will occur over the next few months.

Hirai Farms has been a family-owned and -operated business in the Columbia Basin of Washington State since 1954. Blaine Hirai and the Hirai family maintain a strong tradition of giving back to local communities in the Pacific Northwest. In 2005, the Hirai family created "Annie's Fun," a non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) organization, named after Blaine's mother, to help those in need. In 2008, Blaine Hirai and Annie's Fun (http://www.AnniesFun.org) donated 105,000 pounds of potatoes to several food banks in Washington State, including Northwest Harvest.

Sodexo is a leading Food and Facilities Management services company. Sodexo has an ongoing commitment to help people who face hunger and malnutrition in the communities it serves. The company's various programs are coordinated under its "STOP Hunger" (http://www.sodexofoundation.org/) initiative, which now operates in 25 countries. Sodexo employees have contributed to more than 223 hunger-related NGOs and community-based groups since STOP Hunger's inception more than ten years ago. With the global problem of hunger and malnutrition now afflicting more than a billion people, Sodexo CEO Michel Landel recently called upon the 355,000 Sodexo employees across the globe to join forces in April for a month-long "Servathon" to donate food, serve meals and raise money for needy people in local communities.

Northwest Harvest is a statewide hunger relief agency in Washington State, securing more than 18 million pounds of food annually for distribution to more than 300 food banks, meal programs and elementary schools throughout the state.

Release link: 

Related:  Vegetables - Food - Hirai Farms