Menu for Hope, fabulous walking tour

If you don't think that one person can change the world, you don't know Pim.

After the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia five years ago, Pim Techamuanvivit, a California food blogger who was born in Bangkok, organized an international fundraising event, Menu for Hope, uniting food bloggers — and blog readers — around the world to raise funds for the United Nations World Food Programme. In last year's third annual event, Menu for Hope raised a whopping $62,925, through $10 donations. And that, as Pim says, is a lot of tenners.

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with more than 1,000 organizations in more than 75 countries. This year, funds raised will be earmarked for a sustainable school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa, where childhood hunger is epidemic. (Read more here.)

The Perfect Pantry and Ninecooks have a longstanding commitment to hunger relief, and we're pleased to be part of Menu for Hope this year.

Now, get out your credit card, and get ready to have some fun.

Anyone — and that means you — can be part of Menu for Hope, and I hope each and every one of you will join in.

For every $10 donated, you earn one ticket to bid on a prize of your choice, and the prizes are amazing -- specialty foods, gift certificates, cooking lessons, cookbooks, special events and more!

This year, The Perfect Pantry is thrilled to partner with Rhode Island Market Tours to offer our prize for this wonderful fundraising event:

Item #UE12: Two tickets to SHOPPING FEDERAL HILL: AN INSIDER'S FOOD TOUR, a three-hour walking tour of Providence, Rhode Island's, most famous Italian food neighborhood. Taste your way through "The Hill" as Cindy Salvato, an executive pastry chef and cooking instructor, takes you behind the scenes and into market and bakery kitchens, sampling bread, cheese, antipasto and vino along the way. Good for any scheduled tour before December 31, 2008 (tours run on Saturdays and some weekdays, throughout the year); tickets are transferable but not refundable.

This $90 value can be yours for $10 (hint, hint: the more tickets you buy, the more chances you have to win).

This walking tour is great fun -- I've taken it twice, and I really do feel like an insider now. In fact, most of the people on my tour were from Rhode Island and had shopped on the Hill often. Cindy tells you which is the best pasta, which store has the best Parmigiano-Reggiano, where to buy the best pannetone, who has the prosciutto to die for. Insider stuff -- enough to fill your own perfect pantry!

If you live in or near Rhode Island, or have family here, or are looking for a fun way to explore one of Providence's most eclectic neighborhoods, Item #UE12 Shopping Federal Hill makes a perfect gift, or a treat for yourself.

Buy as many tickets as you wish between now and December 21. There are lots of prizes to choose from, so if you've already taken the walking tour, maybe you'll like a restaurant gift certificate, cooking lesson from a famous chef, autographed cookbook, or specialty food products. Bid often, bid on one prize or bid on several different prizes!

To see all of the prizes donated by East Coast USA bloggers, stop in at Serious Eats.

To Enter
If you're interested in buying into the raffle, here's what you need to do:

1. Choose a prize or prizes of your choice from our Menu for Hope at Chez Pim.

2. Go to the donation site at Firstgiving and make a donation.

3.  Please specify which prize you'd like in the 'Personal Message' section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code. Example:

Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice.  For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02. Please write 2xEU01, 3xEU02. Example:

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Check back on Chez Pim on Wednesday, January 9  to see if you've won the items you had your eye on.

Remember, each $10 you donate earns one raffle ticket for a prize of your choice, so now's the time to make your donation. Thank you for participating in Menu for Hope.

Photo by Chris Vaccaro, courtesy of Rhode Island Market Tours

Comments

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

That sounds like a super walking tour I'd really love.

[cindy]

Lydia....Buona Fortuna...I hope this tour raises lots of money for Menu for Hope. And for the winner I'm going to throw in a bottle of wine..

[Lydia]

MyKitchen, I had so much fun on this tour that I took it twice! Many goodies for the pantry....

Cindy, grazie -- what a nice gift! Let's hope everyone bids for our prize!

[Hillary]

Great prize Lydia! I found out about Menu for Hope a little bit too late to donate a prize on behalf of Chew on That (definitely next year though!) but we made some donations! I wish I lived near Rhode Island!

[Kristen]

What a wonderful contribution!

[Lydia]

Hillary and Kristen, thanks -- I've been looking forward to Menu for Hope all year, and I'm grateful to Cindy for donating our prize.

[Susan from Food Blogga]

Whoever wins this will certainly feast well! Great idea, Lydia!