Carnegie Mellon University
October 17, 2011

Media Advisory: CMU Engineering Students Collect Food, Create Cookbook for Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

Contact: Chriss Swaney / 412-268-5776 / swaney@andrew.cmu.edu
     
Event: Carnegie Mellon University's Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE) Race Team is participating in the national USA Weekend's "Make A Difference Day" by collecting food and donating a homemade cookbook to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. CMU students are joining more than three million people nationwide to help others this semester.

Hugh Ross, a CMU mechanical engineering student and head of the SAE race team, is hosting the event, dubbed "Racing Against Hunger," to help raise awareness of the need to help combat malnutrition. The race team will present food bank officials, including nutritionist Jesse Sharrard, with a unique cookbook featuring "one dish, no-fuss" meals.

The team also enlisted the help of the H.J. Heinz Company, which donated its Heinz 57 sauce to celebrate the racecar's number 57, and to help mark the brand's 100-year anniversary. Other food contributors include The Oakmont Bakery, the Frick Park Market in Point Breeze and Ruggeri's Deli in Squirrel Hill.

"We are so very pleased that Heinz is helping us because our team car this year drew the competitive racing number 57," said John Wiss, an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering at CMU. "Our students are extremely dedicated to helping the community in novel ways."

Food Bank CEO Jermaine Husser said university students energize the whole community with their creativity and drive. "And their taking action to help others is the real hope for the future of this region and this nation." 

The event features a racing demo of the new team car and a bagpipe parade. Lunch will be provided at the public event. 

When: Noon, Friday, Oct. 21.

Where: Scaife Hall Garden, off Frew Street and Schenley Park, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15213.

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