Rising Moon and King Estate Winery team up to donate
3,000 pounds of ravioli

EUGENE, Ore. (December 31, 2004) -- Rising Moon, local manufacturers of organic ravioli, fine pasta sauces and pesto, had a shipment of Ravioli that was a little heavy on a particular spice and lacked the usual amount of salt.

“This is a perfect example of a situation that has a happy ending, as the product, though not perfect by the manufacturer’s standards, is a colossal donation for a food bank," said Deb Buchanan, Food Solicitor for FOOD for Lane County. "The food is not wasted, the donor receives a tax benefit that offsets the loss and folks in need get a delicious, organic product in their food box or at one of our dining sites."

Kirk Giudici, founder and CEO of Rising Moon Organics, was happy to donate the ravioli. “In my childhood, my pop and I made ravioli for our family holiday dinners," Giudici recalled. "He would tell me stories of how he and his grandmother made ravioli together when he was a kid. To share my family’s holiday ravioli dinner tradition with this 10,000-people holiday ravioli dinner is a tribute to my pop and grandmother. I love that!”

This donation made it back to FOOD for Lane County through the generosity of local King Estate Winery. Their shipment of King Estate Oregon wines was destined for Napa Valley, so they coordinated the ravioli pick up in Union City, just outside of Oakland, Calif, and delivered the pasta to FOOD for Lane County's warehouse in Eugene.

“Rising Moon and King Estate, both long-time donors, teamed up to make this donation a timely gift for us here at the food bank, and we are very grateful for their assistance,” said Ron Detwiler, FOOD for Lane County’s Operations Manager.

Contacts:

Terry Kirby, Communications Director, FOOD for Lane County
(541) 343-2822
tkirby@foodforlanecounty.org

Kirk Giudici, Rising Moon Organics
(541) 431-0505

Miles Johnson, King Estate Winery
(541) 942-9874