Largest Student-Led Food Recovery Network Tackles Food Waste to Feed Hungry Families During Big Game

As excitement builds for the Big Game in Santa Clara, local tailgate parties are set to take center stage. Among the festivities, Food Recovery Network (FRN), headquartered in Washington, D.C., sees these events as vital opportunities to combat hunger in our communities.

At Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate, Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and FRN will work together to ensure that no surplus food goes to waste, benefiting families in need in the Bay Area.

For the third consecutive year, Hellmann’s is partnering with FRN—which has recovered surplus food from the Big Game for multiple years—to rescue high-quality food from Big Game tailgates and redirect it to communities in need.

“We’re proud to partner once again with Food Recovery Network to make food recovery part of the Big Game experience,” said Jessica Grigoriou, Senior Vice President of Condiments Marketing in North America, Unilever. “By rescuing high-quality surplus food from events like Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Tailgate and inspiring people to see the value in their own leftovers, we’re showing how small actions can add up to real impact—because good food should be enjoyed, not wasted.”

Last year, FRN achieved remarkable success during the Big Game, recovering 12,348 pounds of surplus food from two Hellmann’s-supported recovery events in one day - The Player's Tailgate and Guy Fieri's Flavortown, equating to approximately 10,290 meals that were provided to the New Orleans Mission. The recovery included high-value items such as seafood, chicken, and butter—essential ingredients that significantly impact local organizations fighting hunger.

This year, FRN is ready to make an even larger impact in the Bay Area. FRN staff, alongside dedicated students and alumni from the University of San Francisco, Cal Poly, San Francisco State University, and Case Western Reserve, will be on-site at both tailgates. All recovered food will be donated to area non-profits such as the Delancey Street Foundation, Samaritan House, and Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen, vital resources for people experiencing food insecurity in the area.

Regina Harmon, CEO of Food Recovery Network, expressed her gratitude, stating, “Hellmann's has been unwavering in their support of our food recovery efforts over the past three years and in our mission to raise awareness about preventing food waste. Their partnership has been instrumental in our efforts to recover high-quality surplus food, enabling us to help local families experiencing hunger. Together, we are making a meaningful impact on both hunger and sustainability.”

FRN’s commitment to large-scale food recovery extends beyond the festivities of the football game. A recent partnership with Gaylord Hotels in Washington, D.C., and San Diego has resulted in over 100,000 pounds of food saved over the last few years. Ryan Verhulst, Hotel Manager at Gaylord National, stated, “Food recovery is essential to reaching our sustainability goals. As part of the Marriott family, we emphasize nurturing our world and reducing our environmental footprint. This includes decreasing our food waste and increasing our contribution to our community. Partnerships like the one we have with Food Recovery Network help us reach our goals while also giving back to local families in need."

Individuals looking to find out about FRN or Food Recovery Verified Event Services can visit foodrecoverynetwork.org.