Bon Appétit and SF Giants Launch Outdoor Classroom for Kids in the Garden at AT&T Park
New community program emphasizes hands-on learning
to build real-food knowledge and skills
San Francisco, CA (February 12, 2015) – The San Francisco Giants and their award-winning food service partner, Bon Appétit Management Company, will launch an outdoor culinary education program for children in the Garden at AT&T Park on Wednesday, February 18. Children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco’s Tenderloin Clubhouse, the YMCA’s Shih Yu-Lang Central location, and the Junior Giants will visit the Garden for the first of a series of field trips offered to children in the community to learn about growing, harvesting, preparing, and eating locally cultivated food.
Bon Appétit Community Development Manager Hannah Schmunk shows a group of visiting kids how carrots grow
“Many youth who participate in programs at the Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA live in the Tenderloin. Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is limited in this neighborhood and the opportunity for these youth to learn from the garden, see how fresh fruits and vegetables are grown, taste and cook with them in the Garden at AT&T Park will be a powerful experience,” said Chuck Collins, president and CEO of YMCA San Francisco.
The Giants and Bon Appétit opened the Garden at AT&T Park last June, in the midst of the Giants 2014 World Series Championship season. Fans quickly adopted this unique ballpark venue as a place to gather, eat, and cheer on the Giants.
During the 2015 season, the Garden at AT&T Park will further its reach in the community and serve as a gathering place for children and youth, as well as fans. In this one-of-a-kind outdoor classroom, children will learn about the importance of healthy eating, see firsthand where food comes from and how it grows, and participate in cooking classes alongside Bon Appétit and other Bay Area chefs.
“For a long time, I’ve wanted to help connect children and our larger community directly to the origins of their food and to inspire them to make healthy and responsible food choices,” said Fedele Bauccio, CEO and cofounder of Bon Appétit. “Our chefs are excited to share their passion for food and cooking with the next generation.”
A young Giants fan makes pizza at the Garden’s community program test run.
“We are excited to provide our community partners, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, YMCA, and Junior Giants, with a program that will teach the children and youth they serve about the connection between what they eat and their health and well-being,” said Giants President and CEO Larry Baer.
Media Contacts (high-resolution images are available):
Laura Braley, 650-520-9704, [email protected]
Shana Daum, 415-972-2496, [email protected]
About the Garden at AT&T Park
Located behind centerfield wall, just under the scoreboard, is a 4,320-square-foot edible garden that offers a bounty of fruits, vegetables, greens, and flowers harvested at peak ripeness throughout the year and served in the two Bon Appétit bistros located inside the Garden. The space features a bar, dining tables, benches, and fire pits, along with the opportunity to picnic on the sod farm, which is harvested for use on the playing field. The Garden’s centerfield wall includes small cutout slits that provide ground-level views of the field. For more information about the Garden at AT&T Park visit www.bamco.com/giants-garden, or follow the Garden on Twitter (@giantsgarden) and Instagram.
About Bon Appétit Management Company
Bon Appétit Management Company is an on-site restaurant company offering full food-service management to corporations, universities, and specialty venues. Based in Palo Alto, CA, Bon Appétit has more than 500 cafés in 32 states. Its many Bay Area clients include Google, Electronic Arts, the University of San Francisco, and the Exploratorium, as well as the restaurants Public House, the Commissary, and STEM Kitchen and Garden. Bon Appétit food is cooked from scratch, including sauces, stocks, and soups. A pioneer in environmentally sound sourcing policies, Bon Appétit has developed programs addressing local purchasing, the overuse of antibiotics, sustainable seafood, the food and climate change connection, humanely raised meat and eggs, and farmworker welfare. It has received numerous awards for its work, from organizations including the James Beard Foundation, Chefs Collaborative, Natural Resources Defense Council, Seafood Choices Alliance, The Humane Society of the United States, and Food Alliance.
About the San Francisco Giants
One of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, the 133-year old franchise moved to San Francisco from New York in 1958. After playing a total of 42 years in Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park, the team moved to the privately constructed AT&T Park in 2000. The organization is widely recognized for its innovative business practices and baseball excellence. In 2010, the franchise was named the Sports Organization of the Year by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal and in 2012 was named Organization of the Year by Baseball America. Since opening its gates, AT&T Park has become internationally-renowned as a premier venue in the world of both sports and entertainment. On the diamond, more than 46 million spectators have witnessed a number of magical moments, including three World Series Championships in the past five years (2010, 2012 & 2014) and five playoff appearances. On June 13, 2012, the first-ever Perfect Game was thrown by Giants ace Matt Cain. In 2008, the Giants celebrated the team’s 50th year in San Francisco and it was the center of the baseball universe when it hosted the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 10, 2007. AT&T Park has also played host to some of music’s biggest acts, including the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band and Green Day. Off the field, the Giants have one of the premier community outreach programs in professional sports, becoming the first team to implement a 100 percent participation program, involving every player, coach and uniformed staff member in at least one community project throughout the season. Through its community outreach programs, the Giants and the Giants Community Fund work with corporate and non-profit partners to raise awareness, educate and generate interest in a variety of issues important to both their fans and community including education/literacy, violence prevention, health and youth recreation and fitness.