Maud Borup, a B Corp certified woman- and veteran-owned candy, confections and seasonal food gift company announced that it collaborated with Second Harvest Heartland, a Minneapolis-based food bank, to create a chocolate potato filled with a rich dark chocolate cake filling given to VIP donors at the 20th Annual Dish Gala, the largest fundraising initiative each year. The gala is the signature event that brings the community together to help end hunger.
“Creating a one-of-a-kind chocolate treat was fun and is an outward symbol of the importance of potatoes in our diet as well as a unique way to keep Second Harvest Heartland top-of-mind with donors,” said Christine Lantinen, owner and president of Maud Borup.
For Second Harvest Heartland, the potato is significant because they are sourced locally, shelf stable, hearty, a multi-cultural food, and available year-round. Potatoes are a staple in almost every family’s meal planning with Second Harvest Heartland distributing over 3 million pounds of potatoes annually.
As part of Maud Borup’s commitment to community volunteerism and charitable giving, packing potatoes for distribution was one of the company’s projects this year. In 90 minutes, company volunteers packed 9,725 pounds of potatoes, enough for 8,104 meals.
This year’s goal was to raise $1.2 million at the gala. Second Harvest Heartland surpassed their goal and raised $1.7 million from individual donor contributions. The Cargill Foundation surprised attendees with their generous gift of $10 million to help eliminate hunger concerns for every family.