Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams partner with LA Chef to raise more than $100,000 to Fight Hunger in Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The fifth annual Taste of the Rams event went virtual this year, attracting more than 400 Los Angeles community members and raising more than  $100,000 to benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. To date, this annual event has raised $750,000 - enough for the Food Bank to provide the equivalent of 3 million meals.

This year's Honorary Chair, Rams Receiver Cooper Kupp, along with other players such as Jared Goff, Van Jefferson, Terrell Burgess and John Wolford rallied the community to virtually come together to raise funds to benefit the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in their mission to combat hunger in Los Angeles.

"I'm thankful to be able to help those in need and to be surrounded by other people that want to help," said Kupp. "It's extremely gratifying to be able to give back, especially during such a challenging year. It's been heartwarming and unifying to be part of a community that wants to take care of each other."

Longtime supporter of the LA Regional Food Bank, Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza Chef Steve Samson, served as the virtual event's lead chef.

"We have all experienced an unprecedented and difficult year. However, it doesn't change the fact that there are food-insecure people in our community," Chef Samson said. "As a chef and someone passionate about food, I am grateful to be able to support Taste of the Rams and the critical work of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank because they are helping individuals have access to healthy meals all year."

Don Lee Farms was the presenting sponsor of this year's event. "Don Lee Farms is proud to be the presenting sponsor for Taste of the Rams once again," said Donald Goodman, President of Don Lee Farms. "We are proud to continue to support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the work they do, especially when so many more individuals need food assistance. Being based in Los Angeles, we care about our neighbors in need and know that it takes the whole community coming together to provide healthy meals to food-insecure children, seniors, families and individuals throughout Los Angeles County."

Other sponsors included the Los Angeles Rams, Barilla, Ketel One Vodka and more.

"The fifth annual Taste of the Rams virtual event was an incredible success," said Michael Flood, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. "We are thankful for Don Lee Farms and our other sponsors, as well as the support of Cooper Kupp and the Los Angeles Rams. We are also grateful to Chef Steve Samson and his amazing team at Rossoblu, who participated, and to the wonderful people who attended the event to help the Food Bank further our vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County."

VIP guests included:

Chef STEVE SAMSON – Superfine Pizza and Rossoblu

Andrew Siciliano, NFL Network Host (Master of Ceremonies).

Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams (Event Chair)

Thanks to financial and food donors, volunteers and community events like the Taste of the Rams, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank can now feed more than 900,000 people every month. However, more work needs to be done to alleviate hunger for the 1 in 5 people in LA County who face food insecurity. It's estimated that 2 million people in our community may not know where their next meal is coming from. To help us close the hunger gap, please visit LAFoodBank.org/donate.

The sixth annual Taste of the Rams will take place in 2021. Visit LAFoodBank.org/rams  for more information, and follow @LAFoodBank on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has been mobilizing resources to fight hunger in Los Angeles County since 1973. To support the Food Bank's vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles County, food and grocery products are distributed through a network of 700 partner agencies and directly to families, seniors and children through direct distribution programs. The Food Bank has distributed more than 1.5 billion pounds of food, the equivalent of 1.2 billion meals since 1973. In response to the Coronavirus crisis, the Food Bank has more than doubled food distribution, and now reaches more than 900,000 people every month. The Food Bank is a 4-star rated charity by Charity Navigator. For more information, visit LAFoodBank.org.

About the Los Angeles Rams:

The Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles' original professional sports team – stand as one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League and since its founding in 1937, have garnered three World Championships and sent 30 of its members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a professional sports team, the organization is committed to be a valuable civic partner and serving the greater Los Angeles area 365 days a year. The Rams play their home games at SoFi Stadium, which is located at Hollywood Park, a 298-acre sports and entertainment destination being developed by Los Angeles Rams Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke in Inglewood, CA.

The Rams organization recognizes its unique ability to raise awareness and funds for causes and issues relevant to fans and community members. The entire organization is committed to serving as a valuable community partner and benefiting the Los Angeles region 365 days a year while providing substantial resources to support education and mentoring, health and wellness, and help address issues tied to poverty such as food insecurity and homelessness. Since the team moved back home to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams have provided more than 9,300 hours of community service and benefitted 192 schools and 153 different non-profit organizations through their community outreach programs.

For more information visit www.therams.com and follow the Rams' social media channels.

About Don Lee Farms

Established in California in 1982, Don Lee Farms is a family-owned food manufacturer and leading national supplier of organic and conventional food products. They are the leading national producer of organic veggie burgers. Don Lee Farms produces meat, vegetarian and plant-based foods for retail, club, foodservice and school foodservice markets. Consumer products and end items are sold at major retailers nationwide such as Costco Wholesale®, Whole Foods Markets® and Walmart® under the Don Lee Farms label, private brands and under brands of their partners. For more information, visit www.donleefarms.com and follow Don Lee Farms on Facebook and Twitter, @DonLeeFarms.

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SOURCE Los Angeles Regional Food Bank