Serving Sport & Leisure Communities in Crisis

#WeAreInThisTogether

We are so proud of our teams who have shown resilience, optimism, and innovation as their venues have morphed from hosting sporting events, conventions and meetings into surge centers, hospitals and shelters over the past few weeks. Here are some of these stories.

With Sports Venues Closed, Attention Turned to Feeding The Local Community

Miami Gardens, FL – At Hard Rock Stadium, Centerplate donated care packages to hourly employees, using food originally allotted for the Miami Open tennis tournament. They then shifted operations to work with Miami-Dade County and Deliver Lean to produce and distribute shipments of ~10,000 meals daily to homebound senior citizens. In early May, the team surpassed the 200,000 meal milestone.

From Gala Dining to Donated Food: Helping Those in Need

Miami Beach, FL – After COVID-19 forced the Miami City Ballet to postpone its gala, Centerplate – the food and beverage partner at the Miami Beach Convention Center – donated 1,000 lbs of food to Food Rescue Miami, which distributed it to local missions & shelters. The team has also produced 175,000+ boxed lunches for homebound seniors as part of the local Deliver Lean food delivery program.

Feeding and Housing the Homeless in San Diego

San Diego, CA – Over the last 6+ weeks, Centerplate at the San Diego Convention Center prepared and served 140,000+ meals for approximately 1,200 homeless residents of the city. Working collaboratively with nonprofit shelter operators and Convention Center staff to plan menus and schedules, the team is accustomed to serving large convention crowds, but this effort took on a different meaning.

If We Can't Feed Convention Center Visitors, We'll Feed Local Students

Pasadena, CA - With both schools closed and the Pasadena Convention Center shuttered, the Centerplate team diverted efforts from serving the Convention Center to feeding local students in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). Working with the Pasadena Center Operating Company, Centerplate prepared, delivered, and distributed over 30,000 nutritious meals to local PUSD families.

Serving the US Army Corps of Engineers and Patients in Downtown Detroit

Detroit, MI – The alternate care facility set up for patients included support services, showers, toilets, staff changing areas, a command center and a pharmacy. It was one of the first such sites in the nation, and Centerplate served over 20,000 meals for everyone who brought the venue to life.

Serving Lunches for the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital

Baltimore, MD – To meet the increased need for COVID-19 inpatient care, the exhibit hall of the Baltimore Convention Center was converted into a facility to treat recovering patients. The Centerplate culinary team served 10,000+ lunches, and the catering sales team visited the Maryland Food Bank regularly to answer phones during a virtual food drive phone-a-thon to benefit local residents.

Dinner Kits to Support the Hospitality and Tourism Industries

Raleigh, NC - Centerplate worked with the Raleigh Convention Center to make and hand out dinners to members of the local hospitality and tourism industries, whose industries are at a standstill during the pandemic. Over 1,000 meals were distributed. Each dinner kit featured a Garden Salad, Chicken and Penne with Marinara, Beef Bourguignon with Rice and a Chocolate Chip Cookie.