NEW YORK — Featuring more than 1,200 companies and thousands of products from around the world, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Winter Fancy Food Show ran from January 21-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. At the end of the Show, exhibitors donated their surplus specialty food to Three Square Food Bank, Southern Nevada’s only food bank and largest hunger relief organization, serving four counties–Clark, Lincoln, Esmeralda, and Nye.
“The Specialty Food Association is proud to continue our tradition of ending each Fancy Food Show with food rescue,” said Jennifer Carney, Director, Tradeshow and Event Operations, for the SFA. “Making this bountiful donation is a collaborative effort with our wonderful members, who are delighted to support Three Square and its tireless efforts to feed the local community.”
The donations of specialty foods and beverages included plant-based, meat, and cheese products, confections, breads, coffee, tea, oils, vinegars, pasta, snacks, and more.
“The support we receive from community partners such as the Specialty Food Association is crucial to our mission, allowing us to distribute more food to neighbors in our community,” said Beth Martino, President and CEO of Three Square Food Bank. “Last year, they donated nearly 33,000 pounds of quality food— the equivalent of more than 27,000 meals— through the Winter Fancy Food Show. On behalf of the one in eight individuals we are privileged to serve, we are deeply grateful for the SFA and their commitment to food rescue.”
The next Show, the Summer Fancy Food Show, will also have a food rescue component, and will take place June 23-25 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. For more information, click here.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $194 billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 3,800 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by developing resources, information, education, and events that celebrate innovation and inclusivity. SFA owns and operates the Fancy Food Shows—which are the largest specialty food industry events in North America—as well as the sofi™ Awards—which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. The SFA also produces the e-newsletter SFA News Daily, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions and Fancy Food Show reports, the State of the Specialty Food Industry Report, Today’s Specialty Food Consumer research, and the Spill & Dish podcast. Find out more online and connect with SFA on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
About Three Square Food Bank
A national model project inspired by Founder Eric Hilton with a grant provided by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Three Square is Southern Nevada’s only food bank and largest hunger relief organization, serving Las Vegas and all of Clark, Lincoln, Esmeralda and Nye counties. Since opening in 2007, Three Square has provided more than 550 million pounds of food to hundreds of thousands of people in need and earned a reputation as one of the most efficient and effective food banks in the country. Three Square is a community collaborative partnership with businesses, nonprofit agencies, food distributors, higher education institutions, the Clark County School District, governmental entities, the media and thousands of volunteers working together to support food-insecure Southern Nevadans. Last year, Three Square provided nearly 43 million pounds of food, the equivalent of nearly 36 million meals, through its network of community partners. A member of the Feeding America network of food banks, Three Square remains committed to its mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people, while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community. If you or someone you know needs food assistance, or wants to learn more about Three Square’s vision of a community where no one is hungry, please connect at threesquare.org, Facebook (@ThreeSquareFoodBank), Instagram (@threesquarelv) and Twitter (@threesquarelv).