Empty Plate Dinner to provide thousands of meals

Now in its 8th year of raising funds and friends to support the mission of the Greater Lansing Food Bank, the Empty Plate Dinner has become one of the premier events in our mid-Michigan community.

On May 14, the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center at Michigan State University hosted another fantastic evening, which ended with more than $350,000 being raised.

“The proceeds will provide tens of thousands of meals to those in need,” said GLFB Executive Director Joe Wald. “These people who need help are our friends, our family members and our neighbors. They reside in every community in our region. They are men and women, young and old, single and married, of every background, religion, nationality and race. They are insured, the uninsured and the underinsured. And many of them have jobs. Hunger does not discriminate.”

The night featured a casual strolling dinner with the area’s top chefs from The State Room at Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, Bordeaux (at the Crowne Plaza Lansing West), Morton’s Fine Catering, Troppo/Tavern on the Square/Peppino’s Sports Grille, Dusty’s Cellar, Spartan Signature Catering and the University Club of MSU. In addition, the event featured both a live and silent auction, boasting unique items such as sports packages and vacation packages.

A commemorative “empty plate” decorated by local school children was also given to attendees.

Introduced in 2007 as a new fundraising event to support the ongoing challenges of feeding those in need, the event has raised nearly $2 million dollars, an amount which has had a true impact on hunger in our community.

We would like to thank all 127 sponsors for making this such a wonderful event, especially title sponsors McLaren Greater Lansing and Jackson National Life, as well as the presenting sponsor Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center for all that they do.

Be sure to save the date (May 13, 2015) for next year’s event.