Pagoda Snacks Named ‘Official Egg Roll’ of LCS Spring Split
LCS & PAGODA
Just in time for Lunar New Year and the League Championship Series (LCS) Spring Split, the maker of Pagoda Snacks announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Riot Games — the company behind the leading global esports property League of Legends.
Pagoda Snacks will be featured as the “Official Egg Roll” of LCS and offer fans the perfect game-time snack through special activations, product drops and giveaways throughout the LCS season.
The LCS is the preeminent professional North American esport and currently the fourth most-viewed professional sports league in North America for gamers in the 18-34 years-old age demographic. Pagoda Snacks will be integrated throughout LCS’ 2024-2026 season events connecting LCS fans with the perfect go-to snacks to refuel.
“We know more time in the kitchen means less time to playing and streaming League of Legends. According to YouGov, approximately 50 percent of next-gen consumers feel as though their lifestyles do not leave enough time to prepare food,” said Monica Ball, marketing manager for Pagoda Snacks. “That’s where our craveable and convenient lineup of Pagoda Snacks comes to the rescue. From our crispy egg rolls loaded with freshly cut vegetables and authentic seasoning to our Crab Rangoon filled with real crab meat and cream cheese paired with a sweet chili sauce, we offer quick, easy-to-prepare but still delicious snacks for LCS players and fans to refuel and supercharge their gaming sessions.”
“We’re thrilled to have Pagoda Snacks join the LCS as our newest partner and further as the ‘Official Egg Roll’ of the League Championship Series,” said Mark Zimmerman, LCS Commissioner. “There’s no better food to fuel our fan experience than egg rolls and I know LCS fans will be hyped to add Pagoda Snacks to their go-to snack lineup.”
As the “Official Egg Roll” of LCS, Pagoda Snacks will be a part of the LCS broadcasts with a “Let Him Cook” segment that will spotlight the best plays and moments of the day from professional players.
Additional Pagoda Snacks broadcast integration will come with the “Put the Egg Rolls In” Tech Pause, where LCS fans will have the perfect opportunity to fuel up and grab a bite to eat.
Throughout the partnership, fans should keep an eye out for additional Pagoda Snacks activations and touchpoints like exclusive drops and promotions so they can celebrate the season with LCS’ “Official Egg Roll.”
Made with quality ingredients, Pagoda Snacks strive to be the superheroes in every family’s freezer. With golden-brown, crispy, crunchy wrappers, fresh-cut vegetables, tasty filling and quality ingredients, Pagoda Egg Rolls are the perfect snack to crush your cravings. Pagoda Snacks include potstickers, crab rangoon, and cream cheese wontons. The brand’s entire portfolio of products contains no partially hydrogenated oils, no high fructose corn syrup and no added MSG. Pagoda Snacks are made and distributed throughout the U.S. by subsidiaries of Schwan’s Company. For more information, please visit www.PagodaSnacks.com.
League of Legends Esports (LoL Esports) is the fastest growing global sport and the pinnacle of competitive gaming with 9 regional leagues, 93 professional esport teams, and more than 860 players. Accessible around the globe on 35+ TV and digital channels, it is one of the most-watched forms of sports entertainment globally. League of Legends Esports started in 2011 and remains owned and operated by Riot Games, one of the world’s top video game developers. Led by Naz Aletaha, Global Head of LoL Esports, our mission is to build a thriving global sports ecosystem by focusing on growth, engagement, profitability, integrity, and accessibility. From the thrilling regional league competitions that captivate millions of fans across the globe to the trophy lift at Worlds, it all lives within LoL Esports. For more information, please visit LoLEsports.com.
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DoorDash Awards $500K+ in Project DASH Impact Grants
DoorDash has awarded more than $500,000 in Project DASH Impact Grants to over 200 food banks, food pantries, and other social impact organizations located in more than 30 states.
Project DASH is DoorDash’s initiative to empower food banks, food pantries, and other social impact organizations to deliver food and essential items to people experiencing food insecurity. Since 2018, Project DASH has powered more than 5 million deliveries of an estimated over 80 million meals.
These grants can be used for any home delivery-related expense, including securing more nutritious food, defraying staff costs, powering more deliveries, or reaching new populations. With this round of funding, DoorDash is continuing to help residents access food in a way that emphasizes convenience and dignity.
“We are extremely grateful to DoorDash for this generous Project DASH Impact grant,” said Julie Yurko, president and CEO at Northern Illinois Food Bank. “These funds will help increase the number of home deliveries from our food pantries and programs like My Pantry Express and ensure our neighbors who lack transportation and accessibility, have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive, with dignity, equity and convenience.”
Across the United States, partners plan to leverage their Project DASH Impact Grants to provide a broader selection of food options and personal care products, serve people more regularly and supplement volunteer home delivery, defray partner staff costs, and deliver to vulnerable populations facing transportation barriers. Some examples of partners leveraging Project DASH Impact Grants to augment their work include:
- the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina growing their reach in rural areas and incorporating delivery into their backpack-based children’s nutrition program, while continuing to serve senior food box recipients; and
- Preble Street in Maine adding fresh produce, culturally appropriate ingredients, and other items in food box deliveries.
“Hugs and Hope extends our heartfelt gratitude to DoorDash for their invaluable support in our mission to broaden our impact through the launch of our ‘Bags of Hope’ Program providing food deliveries for families of children attending Title 1 schools and senior citizens. The deliveries are made on Fridays, ensuring they have sustenance over the weekend when the children are away from school. Thank you for making a difference with us because our partnership is instrumental in spreading not only hope but also an abundance of hugs,” said Jeri Austin, executive director, Hugs and Hope.
“Local delivery of charitable food helps break down barriers to access for seniors, people with a disability, working parents, and other people in local communities,” said Daniel Riff, Head of DoorDash Drive Government & Nonprofit. “We’re excited to help our partners across the U.S. serve more people in innovative ways by providing more than half a million dollars in Project DASH Impact Grants to food banks, food pantries, and other social impact organizations. DoorDash is committed to working alongside our partners and stakeholders across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to continue broadening food access.”
Project DASH empowers social impact organizations—such as food banks and pantries—to work with Dashers and use DoorDash technology to provide local delivery to their communities. These partner organizations determine who receives deliveries, when deliveries will take place, and where the distribution site will be. Dashers complete the deliveries, and recipients receive updates via text message throughout the process.
In 2023, the Urban Institute released a report, Connecting People with Charitable Food through New Home Delivery Partnerships. The report, supported by DoorDash, found that Project DASH has helped alleviate organizational capacity challenges in implementing home delivery, reduced stigma and enhanced convenience, and expanded the communities anti-hunger organizations served, including by connecting hard-to-reach populations with charitable food.
Organizations interested in expanding their existing delivery efforts or learning more about how delivery can enhance their programs can contact the Project DASH team at projectdash@doordash.com.
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Wine & Beverage Summit Returns to CIA at Copia in May
For the first time in four years, the Culinary Institute of America’s Wine & Beverage Summit—a three-day gathering of the beverage industry’s best and brightest—returns to the CIA at Copia May 5-7. Featuring everything from immersive tastings to in-depth dialogue on the state of wine education, innovative career paths, and increasing both business savvy and financial fluency, the conference will welcome recognized wine experts and rising stars alike. It is ideal for junior and mid-level industry professionals looking to grow their knowledge and advance their careers.
“We are thrilled to bring back this incredible event with a focus on professional development,” said Maryam Ahmed, consulting program director. “Attendees can expect a truly enriching experience. Unlike larger conferences where one-way presentations are the focus, this summit was deliberately crafted to be a smaller, more intimate gathering so attendees can interact directly with the presenters and each other during breakout sessions and receptions.”
Among the esteemed beverage experts and presenters are: Emily Wines, certified master sommelier, and vice president of wine experience at Coopers Hawk Winery and Restaurant; Erik Segelbaum, founder and chief vinnovation officer at SOMLYAY, LLC; TJ Douglas, CEO and founder of the Drink Progressively Group; and Andrea Robinson, master sommelier, author, and consultant to Delta Airlines and Norwegian Cruise Line.
The Wine & Beverage Summit also serves as one of the residency sites for CIA Wine and Beverage Management master’s degree students, who will attend as part of their program.
For more information or to view the full program schedule for the Wine & Beverage Summit, visit ciabevpro.com.
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.
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