Bacio Cheese Blocks of Hope Provides $2.4 Million in Hurricane Sandy Relief

RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA and Bacio^® Cheese Company today announced that their Bacio Cheese^® Blocks of Hope^™ program provided approximately $2 million in rebates to pizzerias and more than $400,000 to the American Red Cross Hurricane Sandy relief effort. The two companies launched the program in November 2012 to provide assistance to pizzerias and communities affected by Hurricane Sandy last October.

“The American Red Cross is extremely grateful to Bacio and ROMA for supporting our hurricane relief efforts through the Blocks of Hope campaign”

Executives from both companies will present a check for $429,482 to the American Red Cross this Wednesday, March 20, at the annual International Pizza Expo trade show in Las Vegas. A portion of the sales from every pound of Bacio Cheese sold nationwide between Nov.18, 2012 and Feb.16, 2013 contributed to the total.

“The American Red Cross is extremely grateful to Bacio and ROMA for supporting our hurricane relief efforts through the Blocks of Hope campaign,” said Steve Spinner, Senior Major Gifts Officer for the American Red Cross. “Blocks of Hope brought much-needed support to local pizzerias and to the people in communities directly affected by the storm.”

To offer relief to pizzerias and to support their rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the storm, the program also provided a relief rebate to all Bacio customers for purchases of Bacio Cheese within that same time frame. More than 3,200 pizzerias nationwide participated in the program, receiving approximately $2 million in relief rebates.

“Bacio Cheese partners with some of the finest independent pizzerias,” said Jason Mounts, Associate Director, Bacio Cheese Company. “Many of those are located in the Northeast and were directly in the path of Hurricane Sandy. The Blocks of Hope program was developed to provide assistance to those pizzerias and their communities, as well as to demonstrate Bacio’s commitment to the entire independent pizzeria industry. We’re proud that Blocks of Hope generated $2.4 million in support for thousands of pizzeria partners and the American Red Cross.”

“The devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy has affected so many families and businesses in the Northeast that are still struggling to recover,” said Fred Sanelli, Senior Vice President for Marketing, Brands & Sales Development for PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA. “We’d like to thank our customers who through their purchase of Bacio Cheese enabled us to contribute more than $400,000 to the American Red Cross and their Hurricane Sandy relief effort. The solidarity and support received from pizzerias across the country will help our customers affected by the storm recover more quickly.”

Key Facts:

Bacio Cheese Company (www.baciocheese.com) and PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA (www.performancefoodservice.com) are both participating in this week’s (March 19-21) International Pizza Expo annual trade show in Las Vegas. Visit Bacio Cheese at booth 1118 and PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA at booth 1122. Pizza Expo is the leading trade show for the pizzeria industry.
Bacio is committed to becoming the premier pizza cheese of choice for leading independent pizzerias and restaurants through incomparable cheese, superior customer service, and new products and marketing solutions that help our customers grow.
PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA operates 36 broadline distribution centers serving customers nationwide. It is a business segment of Richmond, Va.-based Performance Food Group, Inc. (PFG).
PFG has traditionally provided to those in need during difficult times. Since 2005, the company has partnered with Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. For its fiscal year ending June 31, 2012, PFG donated more than one million pounds of food to Feeding America.

Additional Resources:

Blocks of Hope Video (http://www.baciocheese.com/blocksofhope/) (A video that captures the essence and spirit of the initiative.)
Bacio Cheese Company Website (www.baciocheese.com)
PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA Website (www.performancefoodservice.com)

About Performance Food Group:

Through its leading family of foodservice distributors – PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA, Vistar and PFG Customized Distribution, Performance Food Group, Inc. (PFG) delivers over 98,000 national and proprietary-branded food and food-related products to more than 165,000 independent and national chain restaurants, quick-service eateries, pizzerias, theaters, schools, hotels, healthcare facilities and other institutions. PFG operates one of the nation’s largest private truck fleets, as well as 70 distribution centers and 13 Merchant’s Mart locations across the United States. The company currently employs more than 11,000 people nationwide. For more information, visit www.pfgc.com.

About Bacio Cheese Company:

Bacio Cheese is an exceptional Italian cheese made for the most discerning pizzerias. Bacio is true to its Italian namesake that means “kiss.” It is 100% natural cheese specially made with premium Grade A milk and a Kiss of Buffalo Milk™ to create delicious authenticity and unparalleled performance. Our unique recipe makes Bacio special, but our obsession with premium quality makes Bacio exceptional. Our Master Cheese Maker supervises all aspects of Bacio ‒ from the moment the milk is received to the packaging of the cheese. Bacio is available exclusively through PERFORMANCE Foodservice-ROMA. For more information, visit www.baciocheese.com.

About American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, visit www.redcross.org.