US Open and Levy Restaurants Donate Food

Written by: Staff on 12th September 2010

US Open and Levy Restaurants Donate Food |

New York, NY – Sept. 14, 2010 — The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and Levy Restaurants, the official restaurateur of the US Open, teamed up to donate more than 21,000 pounds of unused food to City Harvest following the 2010 US Open.

City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization, is dedicated to feeding New York City’s hungry men, women, and children. In the week following the US Open, City Harvest delivered rescued food to soup kitchens and food pantries across the five boroughs.

“The USTA is focused on being a responsible member of the greater New York City community,” said Danny Zausner, Managing Director, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “This commitment includes reducing the environmental footprint of the US Open and providing for others in need. Donating unused food from the US Open, in coordination with our partner, Levy Restaurants, is a great way to help City Harvest feed our neighbors in the five boroughs.”

“We are very thankful to the USTA and Levy Restaurants and for this generous donation,” said Jilly Stephens, Executive Director at City Harvest. “Our long-standing partnership with the US Open demonstrates their commitment to helping us feed hungry New Yorkers,” she added.

Led by Executive Chef Michael Lockard, Levy Restaurants utilized a 250-person culinary team to serve the crowd of more than 700,000 at the US Open Aug. 30 – Sept. 12. Fans had dining options at five restaurants, 60 concession stands and 100 suites on the grounds. Creating a more eco-friendly sports experience, the USTA and Levy Restaurants introduced many new green initiatives this year, including composting of kitchen waste and sourcing of more than 10 percent of all produce from local and regional farms.

Donated food items included: bread, grains, fresh and frozen produce, seafood, dairy, juices and more. Four truckloads of food were picked up by City Harvest in the days following the US Open’s conclusion. The Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church in Jamaica, Queens received lettuce, celery, yogurt, bread, and milk; Five Loaves and Two Fishes in Brooklyn received hamburgers, rolls, salads, peppers, cucumbers and cheeses; Community Food Pantry of Highbridge in the Bronx received a variety of dairy products including cream, milk, and cheese, frozen vegetables, fresh produce and herbs. Additional locations receiving donations included the Hope Line Resource Center in the Bronx and Child Development Support Corporation in Brooklyn.

City Harvest has collected food donations from the US Open for more than 10 years and from Levy Restaurants for the last three years. City Harvest has collected more than 270,000 pounds of food from the US Open since 1998.

Topics: Billie Jean King, Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Bread Grains, City Harvest, Concession Stands, Environmental Footprint, First Food, Five Boroughs, Food Pantries, Food Rescue, Hungry Men, Kitchen Waste, Levy Restaurants, National Tennis Center, Open Aug, Responsible Member, Soup Kitchens, States Tennis Association, United States Tennis, United States Tennis Association