Here’s the deal, directly lifted from Ed Charles’ blog (who is the Asia Pacific, Australian and New Zealand host for for the second year):
What is Menu for Hope?
Menu for Hope is an annual fundraising campaign hosted by Pim of Chez Pim and a revolving group of food bloggers around the world. Five years ago, the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia inspired Pim to find a way to help, and the very first Menu for Hope was born. The campaign has since become a yearly affair. For the past three years, Menu for Hope raised nearly a quarter of million dollars in support of the good work of the UN World Food Programme, helping to feed hungry people worldwide.
Each December, food bloggers from all over the world join the campaign by offering a delectable array of food-related prizes for the Menu for Hope raffle. Anyone can buy raffle tickets to bid on these prizes. For every $10 donated, you earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of their choice. At the end of the two-week campaign, the raffle tickets are drawn and the results announced on Chez Pim.
When will this year’s campaign take place?
December 14 through Christmas.
Who is the beneficiary of this year’s campaign?
Once again we’ve chosen to work with the UN World Food Programme. WFP is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over 1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food, the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they escape hunger for good.
This year, we are supporting a new initiative at the WFP called Purchase for Progress (P4P). P4P enables smallholder and low-income farmers to supply food to WFP’s global operation. More on P4P here.
Who collects the money?
Certainly not Pim, nor the other bloggers participating on the campaign. We know our readers trust us, but we also want to be completely transparent in our fundraising. So, we use a very good online fundraising company called First Giving, who has worked with us since the first Menu for Hope years ago.
Donors can make an online donation with a credit card. Firstgiving collects and processes the payments and, at the end of the campaign, transfers the donations in one lump sum to the WFP. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved. The bloggers never touch the money. The WFP don’t waste overheads on processing mini-donations, the majority of which were between $10-$50, that’s a whole lot of tenners to make up $90K. Firstgiving does all the work and collects a small fee, which include the credit card processing charges.
Last year, Firstgiving gave back 1% of the total amount raised in lieu of a discount on their processing fee. Thank you Firstgiving, we appreciated it very much!
To Donate and Enter the Menu for Hope Raffle
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Choose a bid item or bid items of your choice from our Menu for Hope main bid item list (or see below for the prizes available from this blog).
2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation.
3. Specify which bid item you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per bid item, and please use the bid item code. Each US$10 (a little of AUD $11) you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a bid item of your choice. For example, a donation of US$50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02 – 2xEU01, 3xEU02.
4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match. (This isn’t relevant to Australian bidders)
5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.
So, in support of Menu for Hope, we have collected quite a few prizes:
Heilala Vanilla
Prize: 1 x Heilala Vanilla pack [valued at $120]
Prize Code: AP17
Prize includes: Heilala Vanilla Pods (three in glass tube), Extract (100ml jar), Paste (100ml jar), Sugar (335g resealable pouch), apron.
About: Heilala Vanilla began as an aid project when NZ’s John Ross put a dormant block of land to good use in Tonga. They established a vanilla plantation and now the project has blossomed into a business that not only created a range of premium vanilla products, but provides the local community with an income.
Prize conditions: valid for Australian residents only. Prize will be posted to winner.
Sommeliers Australia
Prize: 1 x enthusiast membership valid for one year [valued at $100]
Prize code: AP20
Prize includes: Membership for 12 months includes email news updates, job alerts and invitations to all tastings, no charge for regular tastings ($25 for non-members) and discounted pricing for selected events.
About: Sommeliers Australia conducts a regular program of dynamic wine tastings and events in all five States to further educate not only sommeliers, hospitality and industry personnel but also general wine enthusiasts and consumes who are keen to learn the same insights the professionals do. Visit: www.sommeliers.com.au.
Prize conditions: valid for Australian residents in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth or Hobart.
Mezzo Bar & Grill
Prize: 1 x dinner for two [valued at $150].
Prize Code: AP18
About: Luke Stringer and Joseph Vargetto, the duo behind Melbourne’s Oyster Little Bourke will kick off 2010 with a new look space, a new dining philosophy, a very different food and wine focus, and the launch of a whole new restaurant offer that will reignite the fire in the bellies of these two very passionate blokes; and that will be Mezzo. Expect more casual environs. A wine list with a more Italian flavour. A menu with impanate, stuzzichini, a salumi selection, pastas, mains and ala piastra. Shared eating. A palpable energy and a genuine passion. A bigger injection of their respective personalities in the way the place ticks. But due to popular demand (and a guaranteed outcry from the regulars), the beloved oysters, shucked on demand, won’t be leaving the menu just yet… Mezzo Bar & Grill. Serves it up from Friday 8 January 2010. 35 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, 3000. T: 03 9650 0988.
Libertine
Prize: 1 x dinner for two [valued at $150]
Prize code: AP19
About: Libertine is owned and run by Nick Creswick and Zoë Ladyman, a young couple dedicated to their craft of providing not only a superb meal, but an indulgent service experience. They love classic and traditional French cuisine and remain steadfast in their intentions to bring back an old-fashioned style of respectful and responsive service. Libertine proudly supports produce suppliers that are quality driven and strive to use the best game, seafood and vegetables available each season. The wines on offer in the restaurant form a small eclectic collection from around the world, always of exceptional quality at every price point, catering for those just starting their exploration of wine, as well as those wanting a very special or rare bottle. Libertine, 500 Victoria St, North Melbourne, 3051. T: 03 9329 5228.
The Wanderer
Prize: A case of The Wanderer’s current release wines [Valued at $420].
Prize code: AP25
Prize includes: 6 bottles of The Wanderer Lower Yarra Pinot Noir 2008 and 6 bottles of The Wanderer Shiraz 2008
About: Andrew Marks’ label ‘The Wanderer’ enables him to roam about the place searching for small parcels of great fruit to make some special wines. To date, this has centred on the Yarra Valley, working with growers with whom he has known for many years. Emphasis in the vineyard is placed on producing fruit of great intensity. This is achieved by cropping the vineyards at very low levels through hard pruning, rigorous shoot thinning and crop thinning in the case of the shiraz. The result is three vibrant single vineyard wines with great intensity and character.
Prize conditions: valid for Australian residents only.
Gembrook Hill
Prize: A case of Gembrook Hill’s current release wines [valued at $433.50]
Prize code: AP21
Prize includes: 3 bottles each of Gembrook Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Chardonnay 2006, Pinot Noir 2008 and Gembrook Hill ‘Mayer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2008
About: Ian and June Marks at Gembrook Hill found their vineyard site after a long search for the perfect pocket of land throughout almost every wine region in Victoria. With views of Mt Donna Buang, a backdrop of the Warburton ranges, red soil and a coveted north-easterly aspect, it is the perfect spot for cool climate winemaking. Gembrook Hill led the way as part of the ‘second wave’ of Yarra Valley vignerons, and today is one of the oldest vineyards in the Upper Yarra Valley sub-region. Gembrook’s wines are regarded as some of the most outstanding examples of their variety in Australia and are crafted with an old-world winemaking mindset. Most vine age now over twenty years. Gembrook Hill was one of the pacesetters in the Yarra Valley with its restrained yet complex style of chardonnay. The sauvignon blanc possesses characteristics found in Sancerre, and is more austere than the typical Australian and New Zealand examples. And the pinot noir has the elegance of old world Burgundy.
Prize conditions: valid for Australian residents only.
McIvor Estate
Prize: A case of McIvor Estate Wines current release wines [valued at $330]
Prize code: AP 22
Prize includes: 3 bottles each of McIvor Estate Marsanne Roussanne 2009, Cabernet Merlot 2006, Sangiovese 2007 and Shiraz 2006.
About: Located in the coveted south end of Heathcote, Victoria, McIvor Estate‘s vines nestle in the sought-after granitic soil amongst dramatic scenery of large granite boulders, majestic rolling hills and imposing gullies that are framed by the Great Dividing Range. Picture-perfect. The property yields award-winning wines, an olive grove producing oils and fruit, and a small herd of Murray Grey breeding cows to keep an eye on things.
Prize conditions: valid for Australian residents only.
La Madre Bakery
Prize: 1x La Madre voucher valid for 12 months [valued at $100]
Prize code: AP23
About: La Madre Bakery is an artisanal bakery run by Anna Spurling and Tez Kemp. They specialise is sourdough, crafted using considered techniques and age-old recipes, and it’s all hand-made with a capital N “No” to preservatives, improvers or any other additives. The full suite of La Madre breads not only features sourdough in all its tin, bun, baguette, roll, cob, fruit-laden and rye-combo forms, but also a ‘traditional’ range, as well as pastries and sweet seasonal treats. They have also recently developed a range of breads utilising an ancient grain that is experiencing a welcome resurgence, spelt. La Madre’s goods can be found at Thomas Dux stores, providores and some pretty fine restaurant tables throughout Victoria.
Prize conditions: valid for Australian residents only. Voucher redeemable only at the La Madre Bakery’s Geelong headquarters.
FOR OTHER AWESOME MENU FOR HOPE PRIZES, head to Ed Charles’ blog for the full list.
Filed under: Menu for Hope, Uncategorized, Gembrook Hill Winery, Heilala Vanilla, La Madre Bakery, Libertine, McIvor Estate, Menu for Hope, Mezzo, prizes, sommeliers australia, The Wanderer
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