What happens with the Detroit Grand Prix's leftover food?
Nonprofit 'rescues' leftover food from Detroit Grand Prix
What happens to all the leftover food not eaten after the Detroit Grand Prix? Chad Techner of Metro Food Rescue is the guy to ask and helps relocate tens of thousands of pounds of extra food to soup kitchens and beyond.
(FOX 2) - The main event may be over, but there's a whole lot of action still underway following the Detroit Grand Prix.
Chad Techner is leading the charge in finding a better use for all of the leftover food that wasn't eaten, donating it rather than throwing it out.
Big picture view:
With another Detroit Grand Prix in the books, the next phase of the city's robust event planning kicks into gear.
That means Metro Food Rescue swooping in and finding the best way to use up the rest of the leftover food that wasn't eaten during the event.
"First thing we're going to need to do to rescue the leftover food, so we've got these mushroom and rice dishes," said Chad Techner, who started the group.
The labor of love includes linking up with dozens of charities and ensuring thousands of pounds of food makes it to their kitchens before it goes bad.
"There's a handful of organizations that we work with that are just down the road from here that will love to receive this food," Techner said. "There's going to be enough food to feed thousands of our neighbors in need."
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At the heart of his work is ensuring a country that throws out a lot of its prepared food instead finds better uses for its leftovers.
"We waste 40% of the food in this country while one in five kids doesn't have enough to eat and it's crazy that the two things would be happening at the same time," he said.
It's not a food problem, he says, but a "logistics problem."
"We work with Penske Corporation, the Detroit Grand Prix, and Andiamo is the catering company who does all the amazing food at this event and so anything that they're not able to re-use at their next event, we rescue and take to someone who can use it today," he said.
During the NFL Draft, they found places to fill with over 70,000 pounds of food and drink that wasn't consumed.
"That goes right on their table. That's their dinner. That's their lunch," said Audrey Parmentier, a volunteer. "You see the kids it impacts, the women, the veterans, and anybody that uses it - they're so thankful. And it's just heartwarming to see it being used for good instead of being thrown away."
The Source: Interviews with the manager and volunteers at Metro Food Rescue were used for this story.