FMI Foundation Honors 2018 Gold Plate Award Winners

The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation revealed the winners of its 2018 Gold Plate Awards, which recognize retailer, supplier and community partners that were major contributors in promoting National Family Meals Month in September. The awards ceremony took place at the Arlington, Va.-based foundation’s annual fundraising event, Stir It Up!, held in Miami during the recent FMI Midwinter Executive Conference.

“It is truly extraordinary to realize that we only started this family meals initiative four years ago and that Nielsen data shows more than a quarter of American shoppers are familiar with the movement,” noted Sue Borra, executive director of the FMI Foundation. “This 115 percent increase in awareness since last year alone is a result of the creative work of [the] award winners – as well as the more than 230 companies who joined the family meals movement since its inception. Even more exciting is that we are seeing these inspiring efforts extend the messaging about the importance of family meals throughout the year, not just in September.”

Last year, the National Family Meals Month campaign saw a 20 percent rise in retailer participation, a 40 percent increase in supplier participation, and a 37 percent increase in community collaborator participation. Additionally, eight states have so far designated September as Family Meals Month: Michigan, Utah, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

An external, independent panel of judges selected the winning programs, which were rated on breadth, depth and extent of reach; originality and creativity; corporate participation; ability to scale and replicate the program; and promotion of National Family Meals Month

The 2018 Golden Plate Award winners are as follows:

Category: Retailer 1–49 stores

Winner: Festival Foods

Program: Festival Family Meals: Kid-Approved Foods

Honorable Mention: Martin’s Super Markets

Program:  The Flavorful Four

Category: Retailer 50–199 stores

Winner: Giant Food Stores (Parent company Ahold Delhaize USA is No. 4 on Progressive Grocer’s 2018 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States) 

Program: Power of One More Family Meal

Honorable Mention: Tops Markets LLC (No. 28 on PG’s 2018 Super 50 list) 

Program: Raising Our Mitt to Commit! #FamilyMealsMonth

Honorable Mention: Coborn’s Inc. (No. 50 on PG’s 2018 Super 50 list) 

Program: Healthy For Good Family Meals

Category: Retailer 200-plus stores

Winner: Wakefern Food Corp. (No. 7 on PG’s 2018 Super 50 list) 

Program: Family Meals Month at ShopRite

Winner: Hy-Vee Inc. (No. 15 on PG’s 2018 Super 50 list)

Program: Hy-Vee Inc.’s National Family Meals Month Campaign

Honorable Mention: Albertsons Cos. (No. 3 on PG’s 2018 Super 50 list)

Program: Kid-Approved Meals for the Whole Family

Category: Supplier

Winner: Kellogg Co.

Program: Family Meals for Healthier, More Successful, Safer Kids!

Honorable Mention: The Kraft Heinz Co.

Program: Kraft Heinz Celebrates Family Meals Month

Category: Community Collaborator

Winner: Produce for Better Health Foundation

Program: Fruits and Veggies—More Matters Month: A Focus on Family Meals