Student-Led Food Recovery Network Tackles Hunger by Recovering Surplus Food from Player’s Tailgate

Santa Clara, CA – As anticipation builds for the Big Game in Santa Clara, Food Recovery Network (FRN) is excited to announce its ongoing efforts to convert tailgate festivities into a powerful opportunity to combat hunger in local communities. For the past six years, FRN has teamed up with Bullseye Events Group to recover surplus food from the Player’s Tailgate, ensuring that high-quality food does not go to waste but instead nourishes families in need.

FRN has successfully recovered over 16,000 pounds of food from this singular Big Game event over the past 6 years, providing more than 13,000 meals to individuals and families experiencing hunger in cities such as New Orleans, Las Vegas, Glendale, Los Angeles, Miami. That means FRN has also prevented 10.07 metric tons of CO2e from entering our atmosphere - that’s the equivalent of 25,000 miles driven by the average gasoline powered car.

“For Bullseye Event Group, the Player’s Tailgate has always been about more than creating an unforgettable game-day experience. It’s about being a responsible partner to the communities we touch,” said Kyle Kinnett, CEO of Bullseye Event Group. "For the sixth consecutive year, we’re proud to work alongside Food Recovery Network to ensure surplus food from this event is redirected to families in need rather than going to waste. This partnership reflects our belief that large-scale events can – and should – leave a positive social and environmental impact long after the final whistle.”

This year, volunteers from the University of San Francisco, along with alumni from schools such as Cal Poly, San Francisco State University, and Case Western Reserve, will be on the ground at The Player’s Tailgate to facilitate these crucial food recovery efforts.

FRN CEO Regina Harmon, “We can be part of a solution to what is, right now, a very big and deep problem of food insecurity. Eighteen million tons of food from consumer-facing businesses is wasted each year across the United States. If we each ensured the businesses in the circumference of our lives established a food recovery plan, our neighborhoods, and the neighborhoods the next town over, and the next state over, would transform right before our eyes. That is the power that we have. If we want it.”

With more than 200 college chapters nationwide and an active network of 8,000 students and partners, FRN is dedicated to advancing food justice through its three-tiered mission: recovering surplus food, reducing environmental impact by diverting food from landfills, and delivering high quality meals to individuals experiencing hunger. 

In addition to its work at the Super Bowl, FRN's initiatives extend beyond the football field. A recent partnership with Gaylord Hotels in Washington, D.C., and San Diego has resulted in reaching a 100,000-pound recovery milestone in the past month. “Food recovery is essential to reaching our sustainability goals,” said Ryan Verhulst, Hotel Manager at Gaylord National. “As part of the Marriott family, we emphasize nurturing our world and reducing our environmental footprint. Partnerships like the one we have with Food Recovery Network help us achieve these goals while giving back to local families in need.”

Furthermore, we can all make a significant impact on reducing food waste in our homes, particularly during festive occasions celebrated across the country. Minnie Ringland, Senior Manager of Climate & Insights at ReFED, states, "Nearly 30% of our food supply goes uneaten, and that problem is on full display on days like Super Bowl Sunday, when there's more of a focus on serving your favorites than there is on what will be left behind. But when food waste accounts for nearly four percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, putting in an effort to limit waste—whether that's by being conscious of how much you prepare or taking steps to send leftovers home with guests—makes a difference!

As the Big Game approaches, the Food Recovery Network is calling on the community to join them in this vital mission to end hunger and promote food justice in Santa Clara and beyond.

**For more information about the Food Recovery Network and its initiatives, visit  foodrecoverynetwork.org and contact sarah.corbin@foodrecoverynetwork.org . 

Food Recovery Network (FRN) is the largest student-led movement recovering surplus food and ending hunger in the U.S. We unite 8,000+ college students, food suppliers, farmers, and local businesses across the U.S. in the fight against climate change and hunger by recovering surplus food from across the supply chain and donating it to local nonprofit organizations that feed people experiencing hunger.