EVENT NEWS

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and Albertsons Designate Two Local Charities as Recipients of This Year’s Bowl for Charity Event

The Idaho Foodbank and Boise Rescue Mission to Receive Hundreds of Pounds of Potatoes, Beef and More Than $1,000 in Gift Cards to Positively Impact Local Community 

BOISE, Idaho, December 19, 2016 The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (FIPB), celebrating its 20th year, held its annual BOWL for Charity earlier this week at PINZ Bowling Center in Meridian, Idaho. Bowl for Charity, a highlight amongst a week of events for the players and teams, directly benefits The Idaho Foodbank and the Boise Rescue Mission for the second year in a row.

As in past years, the annual bowling event pitted the two competing teams, Idaho and Colorado State in a friendly match that resulted in Albertsons recognizing the both teams with a donation in the form of gift cards totaling $1,450 to each charity. CSU won this year’s matchup 264-206. The Bowl for Charity event also resulted in more than 1,100 pounds of fresh and dehydrated potatoes from J.R. Simplot and Potandon Produce to be divided between the two local charities. Agri Beef Co. also donated 400 pounds of ground beef between the two charities.

“We are grateful for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and each of its sponsors that are making a significant impact on our Idaho community,” said Karen Vauk, President and CEO of The Idaho Foodbank. “The financial and food contributions that are raised at this event provide nourishing food to working families, children and seniors who would otherwise go hungry. We are excited to extend our relationship with the Bowl for another year and look forward to participating in a great event.”

The FIPB’s BOWL for Charity consolidates charitable contributions from its title sponsor, Albertsons, as well as various Idaho organizations, including, Agri Beef Co., J.R. Simplot Company, Potandon Produce, and the Idaho Grower Shippers Association into hundreds of pounds of potatoes and beef that will have a positive impact on the Boise market this holiday season. In addition, Albertsons will be contributing gift cards to each charity to be used throughout its stores.

“Albertsons is proud to continue our support of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl,” said Brad Street, President of Albertsons Intermountain. “The Idaho Foodbank and Boise Rescue Mission play a critical role in providing families in need with both food and financial support during the holidays and throughout the year. We are especially excited to host the University of Idaho Football team at Albertsons Stadium, and expect a packed stadium with some very enthusiastic fans. This should be a great football game, and this Bowl for Charity Event will go a long ways to help grow awareness for The Boise Rescue Mission and The Idaho Foodbank.”

“The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl’s mission is to make a positive impact on our local community,” said Kevin McDonald, Executive Director of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. “The Bowl’s alignment of local businesses with charitable organizations helps us to make a real difference in individual lives and our entire community. We are happy that Albertsons has renewed its commitment as our title sponsor to this great event and we are looking forward getting this week’s activities kicked off.”

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will host the University of Idaho of the Sun Belt Conference and Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference on Thursday, December 22 at 5:05 p.m. (MST) at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Tickets for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl are on sale to the general public through famousidahopotatobowl.com or the Albertsons Stadium ticket office. Reservations for premium ticket packages are currently available, which include prime ticket locations, hospitality benefits in tent village and corporate exposure.

For more information, contact the Famous Idaho Bowl office at (208) 424-1011.

About the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, an ESPN Regional Television (ERT) and subsidiary of ESPN, recognizes the positive impact teams, coaches and student-athletes have in their communities and their leadership roles in promoting humanitarian efforts. Each year, the Bowl generates nearly $1 million in direct economic impact for the facilities and charities involved. For more information, visit www.famousidahopotatobowl.com.

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; 13 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 250-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boca Raton, Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football

AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); Marmot Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Orlando Kickoff (Florida); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); St. PetersburgBowl (Florida); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball

AdvoCare Invitational (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Armed Forces Classic (Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan); DIRECTV Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendys (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic Presented by Corona (Storrs, Conn.); NIT Season Tip-Off (Brooklyn, N.Y.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan) and State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago)

For more information, visit the official website, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube pages.

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ESPN Media Contact: Rachel Margolis Siegal at 860-766-2798 or [email protected]

FIPB Executive Director: Kevin McDonald at (208) 424-1011 or [email protected]
FIPB Bowl for Charity Media Contact: Bill Cox (208) 863-6302 or [email protected]