LAX HARVEST FOOD DONATION PROGRAM WINS “SEED” AWARD FROM SOUTH BAY BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION

(Los Angeles, California – September 27, 2017)  Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA) LAX Harvest Food Donation Program was recently recognized by the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition (SBBEC) with its 2017 SoCal Environmental Excellence Development (SEED) award in the “Bridge Builder” category.  The program is a partnership between LAWA, concessionaires HMSHost and the Hudson Group, and Food Donation Connection.  The program promotes sustainability by collecting unsold, high quality grab-and-go food from LAX concessionaires for donation to local charities on a daily basis instead of discarding it as waste.

 “The LAX Harvest Food Donation Program is a shining example of how our airport community comes together to make a tangible, positive difference in the lives of those around us,” said Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners Vice President Valeria Velasco. “We appreciate the SEED award, and will endeavor to build more bridges with our local communities.”

“As part of our sustainability efforts, food waste and diversion is a vital part of our overall program,” said Samantha Bricker, LAWA Deputy Executive Director for Environmental Programs.  “The LAX Harvest Food Donation Program promotes sustainability by diverting unsold food from landfills and distributing it to various local non-profit groups to help our community.  We thank the SBBEC for their recognition, and also thank our concessionaire partners for their continued commitment in supporting our sustainability efforts.”

Ocean Gate Southern Baptist’s Pastor David Manila, one of the LAX Harvest Food Donation program’s recipients, described the program as, “one of the greatest programs in the country.  Thank you for helping us do what we do, which is helping people in the community.”

The LAX Harvest Food Donation Program began in 2012 initially with HMSHost, with Hudson Group joining in 2014.  Since its founding, the program has donated over 397,000 individual items totaling over 195,000 pounds through calendar year 2016. Food donated to the program includes various types of salads, sandwiches, wraps, yogurt, fruit parfaits, and other foods one might see for sale in an airport’s grab-and-go food business.

“HMSHost is thrilled to be a part of Los Angeles International Airport being recognized with the 2017 SEED Award from the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition,” said HMSHost Vice- President of Operations Rich Bennett. “It is an honor to be considered a sustainability leader in the community for contributing to the LAX Harvest Food Donation Program project in partnership with the airport and Food Donation Connection."

“We are honored to be a part of the LAX Harvest Food Donation Program,” said Joseph DiDomizio, President and CEO of Hudson Group, Division CEO North America of Dufry. “Hudson Group is a charitable company with a large philanthropic footprint, and this is just one way we help support the communities in which we serve.”

These donations help alleviate local food insecurity that affects people in local communities while reducing the quantity of food waste that would have gone to a local landfill. Food waste and food insecurity affects all age groups, and is a growing concern for many communities and municipalities throughout the country.  LAWA and its tenant partners believe that programs like the LAX Harvest Food Donation Program can help address this concern.

“The SEED Awards is a chance to bring together a wide variety of businesses and individuals that all share at least one thing and that is a commitment to sustainability,” said Douglas Krauss, SEED Award Chair.  “Each applicant has a story to tell about how sustainability is important to their lives and how they have made it work. We are happy to be able to bring these stories together and hopefully inspire others.”

The Bridge Builder category was created in honor of CalRecycle’s Steve Uselton, who worked diligently to connect government with local businesses to address environmental concerns.

About Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

           LAX is the fourth busiest airport in the world, second in the United States, and was named one of Skytrax’ 2017 Top 10 Most Improved Airports.  LAX served more than 80.9 million passengers in 2016.  LAX offers 737 daily nonstop flights to 100 cities in the U.S. and 1,386 weekly nonstop flights to 88 cities in 44 countries on 73 commercial air carriers.  LAX ranks 14th in the world and fifth in the U.S. in air cargo tonnage processed, with more than 2.2 million tons of air cargo valued at over $101.4 billion.  LAX handled 697,138 operations (landings and takeoffs) in 2016. 

An economic study based on 2014 operations reported LAX generated 620,600 jobs in Southern California with labor income of $37.3 billion and economic output (business revenues) of more than $126.6 billion. This activity added $6.2 billion to local and state revenues and $8.7 billion in federal tax revenues.  The study also reported that LAX’s ongoing capital-improvement program creates an additional 121,640 annual jobs with labor income of $7.6 billion and economic output of $20.3 billion, $966 million in state and local taxes, and $1.6 billion in federal tax revenues.

            LAX is also the second most popular airport in the world to appear on Instagram according to wego.com. LAX is part of a system of two Southern California airports – along with Van Nuys general aviation – that are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles that receives no funding from the City’s general fund.

For more information about LAX,or follow on Twitter @flyLAXAirport, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LAInternationalAirport, and on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/laxairport1.  Information about LAX’s ongoing multi-billion-dollar LAX Modernization Program, as well as tips and shortcuts to help navigate LAX during construction

          As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities.  Alternative formats in large print, braille, audio, and other forms (if possible) will be provided upon request.

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