TABLE for TWO’s ONIGIRI ACTION Campaign Provides 1.6 Million School Meals With 300,000 ‘Onigiri’ Rice Ball Photo Posts in 45 Days

NEW YORK, Dec. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — TABLE FOR TWO (TFT) USA, a non-profit organization that aims to tackle obesity and global hunger issues, organized its fifth annual social action campaign called ONIGIRI ACTION – Change the World with Onigiri Rice Balls. The campaign, which commemorates World Food Day, ran from Oct. 7 to Nov. 20. During the campaign, every photo of onigiri posted to the campaign website or social media with #OnigiriAction helped provide five school meals to children in need around the world.

A total of 295,398 photos were posted from all over the world in just 45 days – increased by 50 percent compared to last year. For every photo posted, our sponsoring organizations donated five school meals to children in need. With these donations, TFT will provide 1,605,978 warm school meals, enough to support 8,000 children in need for one school year. TFT funds one school meal to a child in Africa with a single 25-cent donation. In the U.S., the same 25-cent donation can be used to add fresh vegetables and fruits to one school meal served in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

A mosaic of happy children in Africa was created using the posted photos to commemorate this success. Nine “Best of the Best Onigiri” photos were awarded. View the winning photographs here: https://onigiri-action.com/en.

Sponsor Organizations:

J.C.C. Fund/Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, JFC International/Nishiki, JCAW Foundation, Zojirushi America, San-J, ITOCHU International, SMBC Global Foundation, Misuzu Corporation, MUFG Union Bank, N.A., Otafuku Foods, Just One Cookbook, BentOn, Onigilly.

Events Across the U.S.:

More than 80 schools across the U.S., from preschools to universities, organized the ONIGIRI ACTION events. The students rose to meet the challenge of achieving zero hunger around the world.

In the DMV area, we partnered up with DC Public Schools as part of International Education Week and held onigiri making classes at various D.C. schools. The Japan Information and Culture Center at the Embassy of Japan worked together to help students at the Hearst Elementary School learn about world hunger. JFC International generously donated Nishiki rice and the other onigiri ingredients to schools so that more than 2,000 students could enjoy making onigiri.

In New York City, SMBC organized an exclusive ONIGIRI ACTION event at their office. We held a pop-up onigiri giveaway event in the lobby of the 1251 Avenue of the Americas skyscraper with generous support from Mitsui Fudosan America, Hines, ITOCHU International. We handed out 300 onigiri! MUFG Union Bank, N.A., also supported an event for Neighborhood Charter School of Harlem’s students.

In Los Angeles, Japan Foundation Los Angeles hosted the Instagrammable-onigiri-making event at Japan House. “Hello Kitty Onigiri workshop” was held at Tanaka Farms, Irvine. 

About TABLE FOR TWO USA: 

TFT is a 501(c)(3) organization that addresses issues of hunger and obesity by providing school meals to children in need and teaching healthy eating to K-12 students in the U.S. through their unique food education program called Wa-Shokuiku -Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!.

Media Contact: 
Sanae Uchinaka
Communications Planner, TABLE FOR TWO USA
Email: s.uchinaka@tablefor2.org 

Related Files

PressRelease_OnigiriAction2019_result(s).pdf

OnigiriAction_Mosaic_Photo_2019.jpg

Related Images

onigiri-action-photo-award-2019.jpg
ONIGIRI ACTION Photo Award 2019
Among all the great photos, the ‘Best of the Best Onigiri’ photos were awarded.

Related Links

ONIGIRI ACTION 2019

FACEBOOK PAGE

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SOURCE TABLE FOR TWO USA