Taste of the NFL Will Hold Its 26th Annual Party with a Purpose at University of Houston

Tickets for This Super Bowl Eve Event of Food, Football and Charity Are Now on Sale

This Super Bowl Eve, Taste of the NFL—the premier Super Bowl Week fundraiser dedicated to hunger relief—will host its 26th annual party at the University of Houston. Returning to Space City for the first time since Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, Party with a Purpose® will again hold its signature grand tasting event on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, on the University’s historic campus. The event is attended by thousands of guests, including football legends, nationally renowned chefs and celebrity supporters. Tickets to this highly anticipated event are now on sale at http://www.tasteofthenfl.com/.

“The University is a vital pillar and resource for the community, so we are thrilled to partner with them this year as we return to Houston,” said Taste of the NFL founder Wayne Kostroski. “In addition to creating new meals, this event is about creating hope and possibility for millions of Americans who are food insecure, and we are grateful to have UH’s support as we continue to fight hunger in this great city and across the country.”

An evening celebrating two of America’s favorite pastimes—food and football—Party with a Purpose® pairs extraordinary chefs from the 32 NFL cities together with current, Hall of Fame and alumni players from each of the NFL franchises as they serve over 45,000 tastings for 2,500 guests. Event goers will also enjoy live musical entertainment from notable performers and have the opportunity to bid on over 250 unique sports and celebrity memorabilia, vacation packages and other coveted auction items.

“University of Houston and the Taste of the NFL are united in our passion for public service,” said UH President Renu Khator. “This partnership reflects UH’s steadfast commitment to be a community-serving institution. We look forward to involving students in once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, welcoming some of the finest chefs, NFL stars and philanthropists to campus, and most importantly, doing our part to relieve hunger in Houston and across America.”

At a special kick-off event held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 on campus, James Beard award-winning Chef Robert Del Grande of Café Annie—who will also be Houston’s presiding chef at Party with a Purpose®—and three other local Houston chefs served a “first taste” of their favorite gourmet game-day dishes to dozens of officials from the University, Houston Food Bank and Houston Super Bowl Host Committee who came to commemorate this year’s partnership between Party with a Purpose® and the University.

Party with a Purpose® is also excited to announce Texas Medical Center as a new Houston-based partner to this year’s event. In addition to generous support of the annual party and its philanthropic mission, Texas Medical Center will also serve as the event’s official Chef Host.

Since its inception in 1992, Taste of the NFL has raised and donated over $25 million to food banks in the 32 NFL cities, which has created over 200 million new meals for Americans.  100% of the proceeds from Party with a Purpose® go directly back to food banks in NFL cities—including the Houston Food Bank.