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Community Impact Movement Reports One Million People Fed;
Celebrates America’s Comfort Food with Live-Streamed ‘Lasagn-a-thon’
and 100+ Large-Scale Delivery Events Planned
BOSTON, Mass. (July 13, 2022) – Lasagna, celebrated as one of America’s most treasured comfort foods, has experienced a revolutionary rebirth since 2020. The unctuous, cheesy, and tomato-laden Italian classic, celebrated nationally each July 29 (National Lasagna Day), has become the primary vehicle through which simple acts of kindness are being delivered to neighbors in need, as well as the official holiday for global community impact movement, Lasagna Love.
Launched in early 2020 by Rhiannon Menn, a mom who baked and delivered pans of lasagnas to her neighbors, Lasagna Love inspired a viral, grassroots campaign that quickly swept the nation. Menn’s approach to delivering comfort was easily replicated and served as a safe, practical way to maintain community connection. In the two years since her first delivery, Menn and a dedicated team of more than 35,000 volunteers from all 50 states of America, Australia, and Canada, have fed more than one million people, and delivered upwards of 250,000 meals. These empirical results reveal that acts of kindness continue to be a welcome site at someone’s door.
“The moment Lasagna Love reached the one million people fed mark this year, I was completely overcome,” shared Menn, founder and Chief Lasagna Mama of Lasagna Love. “It feels both surreal and thoroughly inspiring to know so many individuals want to support their neighbors, no questions asked, and further, that pans of lasagna are still communicating support for neighbors not just nationally, but on a global scale.”
Lasagna Love Determined to Break #NationalLasagnaDay Delivery Record
This year, Lasagna Love has set its sights on goals that far exceed those achieved during last year’s National Lasagna Day celebration–which was also Lasagna Love’s first. The organization is seeking to deliver 10,000 lasagnas (double the 2021 goal), welcome at least 1,000 new “lasagna chef” volunteers, and raise $100,000 in donations. To achieve these aspirational goals, Lasagna Love is partnering with RAGÚ®, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Galbani Cheese, Pastene, the Tomato Wellness Commission, and Emile Henry, all of which have aligned their support of Lasagna Love’s mission to feed families, spread kindness, and strengthen communities.
Volunteer “lasagna chefs” from across the country are organizing more than 100 large-scale delivery events to benefit not just individual families, but first responders, local fire departments, homeless shelters, retirement homes, food banks, Ronald McDonald Houses, and various nonprofit community support organizations in more than 25 states.
In addition, Lasagna Love will host a two-hour, live-streaming “Lasagn-a-thon” event, featuring cooking demonstrations, surprise guests and influencers, instructional segments on “decorating your lasagna,” “best ways to freeze lasagna,” and an innovative approach to the famous comfort food: lasagna bowls.
Sponsors too are joining the celebration. RAGÚ and Emile Henry are recognizing individual “Star Chef Honorees” – volunteers who have made significant contributions to the Lasagna Love mission. Ten individuals from across the country will be recognized for their commitment to community, and revealed across Lasagna Love’s social media platforms leading up to National Lasagna Day.
To celebrate new chefs interested in joining the Lasagna Love movement, RAGÚ created a special gift box containing a coupon for a free jar of sauce, recipe card, and spoon for use in the creation of lasagnas. The first 250 individuals who sign up to become Lasagna Chefs at www.lasagnalove.org/ragu will receive the special thank you gift.
“At RAGÚ, we believe that anyone can “Cook Like a Mother” regardless of gender or culinary skill. We encourage consumers to volunteer and help those in need in their communities,” said Megan Frank, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Mizkan America, Inc., the maker of RAGÚ.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill®, which operates nearly 200 restaurants across the United States, will be donating approximately 2,000 lasagnas to community members in need. Carrabba’s has also committed to donating 10% of all in-restaurant or online lasagna entrée sales on National Lasagna Day to Lasagna Love. From July 25-31, guests can also support the organization and donate directly to Lasagna Love by writing in a donation amount on their restaurant receipt or through fixed amounts available on online orders. Additionally, for the entire month of July, anyone who signs up to be a part of the Lasagna Love family on www.lasagnalove.org/carrabbas is entered for a chance to win free Carrabba’s for a year.
“At Carrabba’s, our community is at the center of everything we do,” said Bronze Major, Senior Director of Marketing, Carrabba’s Italian Grill. “Through our Carrabba’s Cares program, we offer ways to give back and support meaningful nonprofits such as Lasagna Love.”
No lasagna would be complete without layers of ricotta and melted mozzarella cheese. This year, Galbani Cheese has locked arms with Lasagna Love to ensure lasagna chefs have ready access to a variety of both ricotta and mozzarella cheese options. Pastene, which provided New England-based chefs with pallets of authentic Italian Lasagne Festonate pasta noodles and their famed Kitchen Ready® Tomatoes during last year’s record-breaking lasagna-making event, also returned as a National Lasagna Day sponsor. Pastene is offering its high-quality Italian specialty products at a discount to lasagna chef volunteers through July 30th.
“We are deeply grateful for the support from RAGÚ, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Galbani, Pastene, and others, who have aligned themselves with Lasagna Love to celebrate National Lasagna Day. Each brand has shown its commitment to our mission – to feed families and spread kindness – and is supporting our volunteers as they impact thousands of communities across the country this month.”
Lasagna Love’s unique model streamlines volunteerism, leveraging digital applications and social media platforms in a world where technology is increasingly used to maintain connectivity. Operated almost entirely by a passionate army of volunteers whose shared purpose is to spread acts of kindness, Lasagna Love has successfully united participation of individuals from around the world, each of whom is encouraged to participate as much or as little as desired.
To request a meal on National Lasagna Day, to become a volunteer Lasagna Chef, nominate a recipient for a Lasagna Love delivery, or support Lasagna Love through donations or the purchase of Lasagna Love store merchandise, visit www.lasagnalove.org.
About Lasagna Love
Lasagna Love is a community impact program that connects neighbors through gestures of kindness, goodwill, and support. The nonprofit has joined together more than 35,000 volunteers from around the world and abides by three simple principles: feed families, spread kindness and strengthen communities. Lasagna Love fosters a culture of positivity, empathy, zero-judgment, and maintains a steadfast resolve to deliver comfort when needed most. Lasagna Love volunteers share a seminal purpose: exist to assist. To learn more about Lasagna Love and how you can get involved, visit www.lasagnalove.org or our social channels, @WeAreLasagnaLove (Instagram and Facebook).
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Media contacts:
Wendy Agudelo; wendy@lasagnalove.org; 978.994.1447
Jackie Rodriguez (Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Pastene); jrodriguez@tilsonpr.com; 561.998.1995
Nerissa Silao; (RAGÚ); nerissa.silao@hkstrategies.com
Don Heins; (Lactalis/Galbani); don.heins@us.lactalis.com; 716.823.6262 x1353