LIFESTYLE COLUMN: COOKING WITH THE TROOPS

Charity Rings The Bell to Support our Troops with Food & Nutrition

By: Stephen Cedars

November 14, 2011

Commemorative holidays have the potential to inspire and encourage us, but too often lead to no more than passive appreciation. I was fortunate enough, this Veterans Day, to be introduced to Cooking with the Troops (CWTT) -- a not-for-profit company that is anything but passive in its commitment to serving veterans and current servicemen and women. The organization was invited by NASDAQ OMX not only to host an all-day celebration at NASDAQ's Times Square Market location, but also to ring the bell at close of trading -- a symbolic acknowledgement of how integral our military veterans are to protecting our country.

It was an exciting opportunity for a relatively new organization with an inspiring mission. Cooking with the Troops was born from the collaboration of Bob Miller and C. Blake Powers -- both chefs and veterans who were engaged separately in preparing food for soldiers. When they finally met and decided to co-host an event at Malogne House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, they knew they'd discovered something, and within a year had officially incorporated CWTT. The organization's mission is four-fold:

To host Food Events, particularly for the wounded, injured, and ill.  They include educational components wherever possible, but the primary goal is to remind those engaged in service to our country (and its allies) that they are appreciated;

To assist in Culinary Career Transition for any service men or women who have been forced to leave service because of injuries, and who might be interested in working within the industry;

To provide Homefront Support focused on teaching how to prepare "good food fast rather than fast food via fun events"; and

To provide Frontline Support through culinary and nutritional care for troops currently stationed overseas.

The inspiration of the organization's mission was manifested throughout the entire Veterans Day Event, and their commitment was infectious to all involved.  Right away, at 7:00 a.m., the event kicked off with a marriage proposal orchestrated between CWTT and the Fox and Friends TV program.  And so the day began with the celebratory air that ran through it.  There were several cooking demonstrations run by celebrity and accomplished chefs, including: CWTT's own Ellen Adams; Chef Paul Niedermann, winner of Fox's Hell's Kitchen Season 9; Chef James Luque of the Historic Thayer Hotel at West Point; and Fairway Market Food Experts.  Following demonstrations, Fairway Markets catered an extended luncheon for all guests. The panorama of guests was also impressive: veterans of Iraq; a group of talented female USO performers known as "The Liberty Bells"; a swath of journalists and finance figures; and the special guest, Phil Perugini, veteran of WWII's Easy Company (immortalized in Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers and the subsequent HBO mini-series).

But best of all was the final bell-ringing ritual.  As the entire party joined Mr. Perugini and Mr. Strobel (the Iraq veteran who proposed to his fiancée that morning) on stage, it was hard not to remember how much we truly do owe not only the veterans who have risked their lives for our safety, but also those, like CWTT, who are active in attempting to commemorate their service. The final ceremony was not only carried live by all major networks but was broadcast via the jumbotron over Times Square.

As Mr. Powers explained, this event was not quite typical of what CWTT does, but rather has been staged in hopes of increasing their exposure. CWTT typically prepares food (sometimes via guest chefs, sometimes by the core volunteers) for both servicemen and their families, both domestically and overseas. They are committed to their cause and are currently seeking both donations to expand and, perhaps more importantly, partners who can further their cause. Today marked the acquisition of a new partner, in fact – the Thayer Hotel at West Point has volunteered to initiate an internship program to help the ranks of CWTT grow.

Anyone can be of service to our service men and women.  As we pass another year of passively commemorating the sacrifices many of us have been spared from having to make, consider showing your appreciation through a donation of money, time, or space to Cooking with the Troops. 

More information can be found via the Cooking With The Troops website.