OzHarvest Holds First Foodie Foot Race With Meaning In Adelaide CBD |

Just over a week ago, OzHarvest with Santos in South Australia held the first ever Great Food Rescue Race – the first ever foodie footrace with meaning through the Adelaide CBD.

With 22 teams participating, more than 20 South Australian businesses, 2 charitable agencies, around 9 local identities and some 50 volunteers – and more than $38,000 raised in the name of food rescue – the event was visible, impactful and fun!

The Great Food Rescue Race was a new event in South Australia – a food and food-rescue themed foot race through the CBD. Registered teams competed in a series of 9 different challenges across the city centre while celebrating Adelaide’s food culture and raising funds that will help OzHarvest rescue and deliver more good nutritious food.

From exploring Cucina Povera with Andre Ursini at Andre’s Cucina, to ingredient identification at the newly- launched Coal Cellar and Grill (Hilton Adelaide) and brainstorming recipes for rescued food with tenants of Common Ground Adelaide, teams ran, thought, ate, searched, quized, cooked and talked, before racing back to Victoria Square to finish.

Registered Teams hailed from (eg) Bigwig Advertising and Digital, Commonwealth Bank, CQ Uni, Ernst and Young, Kesab, Kytons, Ouwens Casserly Real Estate, Treasury Wine Estates, People’s Choice, 360 Private Wealth by Design, Santos, SA Power Networks, MRS Property, University of Adelaide and also private individuals. While registration was a low $250 (inc GST) per team, all teams raised additional funds as part of their entry via the Great Food Rescue Race website www.greatfoodrescuerace.com.au.

Identities involved in the race included Matt Gilbertson (MC), OzHarvest Ambassador Keith Conlon, Andre Ursini, Saskia Beer, Rosa Matto, Jessie Spiby, Rose Adam, Bree May and Dougal McFuzzlebutt.

Event Sponsors included Principle Event Partner Santos, with Andres Cucina, Bigwig advertising and digital, Haycom, Hilton Adelaide, Saskia Beer, Splash Adelaide, Tuckers Natural, Community Benefit SA, Barossa Valley Brewing, Channel 44, Hither & Yon. Partners include Adelaide Central Market, Brand South Australia, Common Ground, The Productive Garden Co., Migration Museum, St Lukes, OTR | On The Run and Ecocaddy. A number of other food businesses and producers supported the event in other ways on the day.

At the end of the race, teams enjoyed a short celebration in Victoria Square with light food generously provided by Andre’s Cucina and Saskia Beer Farm Produce, Wines by Hither & Yon and Beer by Barossa Valley Brewing, and local artist Angela Easson performing live.

Winners Team Mountain Goats Pic Courtesy C44

Final placegetters for the Race were determined by a combination of points from funds raised, scores of challenges completed and order of finishing the race. The winners trophy was awarded to the Mountain Goats (Santos) with second runner Up Shakers and Bakers (Ouwens Casserly Real Estate) and third runner up Ugly Food Store (a group based in Sydney). The team that raised the most money before the race was Leftover Magic (Treasury Wine Estates) – they alone raised a whopping $2,780 – equivalent to 5,560 meals OzHarvest can rescue and deliver here in Adelaide. This scored the team a ride on an EcoCaddy to their first race station as part of the Race. A pre-race fundraising opportunity had also been offered to teams involving healthy and delicious crackers donated by Tuckers Natural.

Each week – with three vans on the road from Aldinga to Gawler – OzHarvest in South Australia collects more than 50 tonnes of good quality surplus food that would otherwise end up in landfill and delivers this food to more than 100 charities that feed people in need. To date this for-impact organisation has delivered more than 3.6 million meals to those in need in South Australia and saved more than 1.2 million kilos of good quality food from ending up in landfill. The demand for OzHarvest services remains extremely high and growing.

We had so much fun hosting and collaborating on this event and it was so rewarding to see all the teams throw their energy and enthusiasm into the event, as well as all the many businesses, identities, agencies and local identities. Already we are looking to 2016, with our date set for the next event. We’ve just announced the date – the next Great Food Rescue Race will be held in Adelaide on Friday 4 November 2016. To register your interest in forming a team, or in getting your business involved with the event, email us at [email protected] – and save the date!

(Great Food Rescue Race logo by Bigwig Advertising and Digital).