Vikings showcase new food truck to help food insecure families
EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings are dishing out some new eats and it’s all for kids struggling to have a healthy meal.
The Vikings Foundation is trying to leverage the powerful Vikings brand to bring awareness to food insecurity and do something about it.
“Whatever chance I get to help a kid or impact a kid’s life or anything like that, I’m going to do it,” said Vikings RB Dalvin Cook.
Cook worked the window of the new Vikings food truck called, “The Vikings Table.”
It’s a concept that food truck operator Tony Fitz could once only dream about.
“I mean, truly, when the Minnesota Vikings come and ask you to do something you’ve wanted to do for a long time, how can you not?” Fitz asked.
That something was the concept of using a mobile food truck to serve meals in neighborhoods where families struggle to properly feed their kids.
This project targets the 250,000 kids that the Vikings Foundation says don’t have enough access to nutritious meals every day.
“So, you’re going to see this vehicle doing two distributions every single week during the months when it’s warm,” said Brett Taber, the Vikings Foundation executive director. “And even during the week when it’s not warm and during some of those cold weather months, we’re still going to serve food out there, especially when kids are on winter break.”
It’s a concept that Fritz can get behind.
“So, the kids are going to be all balanced meals. We’re going to look at doing things that are going to be a little out of the box that maybe they’re not used to. Doing things like turkey tacos where we take ground turkey and substitute it for meat and substitute it out for something healthier and give them meal cards so they can do that at home. Again, so families can get together and cook it together and hopefully we can make it a step by step process for them,” he said.
All of this to accomplish the goal of trying to outrun hunger.
“Every day, every time I get a chance to go back home and get a chance to drive around Minneapolis, you know, you see kids that have a great opportunity learning from this food truck how to put stuff in your body. You know they’re giving them a meal. That’s a great opportunity and that don’t’ get no better than this,” said Cook.
The Vikings Table food truck will also show up at Vikings games and other events with a full menu for food to purchase. All of the proceeds go right back into the free meal program for the kids.