Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Cowboys Tailgate Party

 Foodies and football fans will huddle up to take a bite out of childhood hunger at Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Cowboys Tailgate Party benefiting the North Texas Food Bank.  Event Chair DeMarcus Ware #94 welcomes Former Dallas Cowboy Chad Hennings, who joins Cowboys legend Preston Pearson and Executive Chef Kent Rathbun, to co-host the 8th Annual "Party with a Purpose." This year's event moves to the new Omni Hotel Dallas Trinity Ballroom, which will receive a gridiron makeover when the festivities touch down on Sunday, May 20, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

Advance tickets are on sale now for only $125 a person or $225 a couple. This year’s Tailgate Party has all the ingredients of a winning evening, including: 20 gourmet food stations from chefs representing some of DFW’s hottest restaurants and purveyors; Current and former Dallas Cowboys hosts and special guests, including Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders; Live music by headliner Emerald City; Silent and live auction items featuring great escapes, experiences and one-of‐a-kind merchandise like a Louis Vuitton bag, an overseas trip, Southwest Airlines vouchers, signed sports memorabilia; Fund-a-Cause opportunities enabling bidders to sponsor children utilizing NTFB programs at commitment levels of $100, $500, $1,000 and $2,500, emceed in a live auction-style format. Reserve a spot today online.

The following star chefs have already committed to take time out from their own kitchens to participate: Kent Rathbun (Abacus, Jasper’s, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen & KB’s WoodFire Grill), Sean Merchant (Bob’s Steak and Chop House, Omni Dallas Hotel), Graham Dodds (Central 214, Hotel Palomar Dallas), David Holben (Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House), Orazio LaManna (Legends Hospitality, Cowboys Stadium), Anthony Bombaci (Nana, Hilton Anatole Hotel), Rodman Shields (Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse), James Williams (North Texas Food Bank, Community Kitchen), James Johnson (Pappas Bros. Steakhouse), Jaime Corona (Place at Perry’s), Tiffany Derry (Private Social), TJ Lengnick (Whiskey Cake).

Guests can choose to make a night of it by booking a special $179 room rate at the Omni Hotel Dallas. Simply call 214-744-6664 to make a reservation and reference Taste of the NFL to receive the special rate

Taste of the NFL: The Ultimate Cowboys Tailgate Party raised a record of more than $201,000 (up 13.5%) - helping provide over 603,000 meals to kids in need across our community. Organizers hope to cross the $1 million dollar fundraising milestone this year for funds generated since the event started in 2004.

According to recent USDA data, Texas has one of the highest rates of food insecure children in the country; currently 1 in 4 lives in a household without consistent access to nutrition. Please visit the Food Bank’s website at http://www.ntfb.org/ for additional event information, to learn more about NTFB's programs serving children, for volunteer opportunities, or to see how the organization is committed to “ReThinking Hunger” by bringing healthier, smarter and stronger solutions to the table to address demand. For every $1 donated, NTFB is able to provide three meals. Let's tackle hunger together!