Celebrities, actors, musicians and chefs have teamed up with Williams Sonoma cookware and national non-profit organization No Kid Hungry to design a selection of limited-edition spatulas, in a bid to fight childhood hunger.
“Everyone has a role to play in ending childhood hunger in America,” said Bridges, who is also a national spokesperson for No Kid Hungry. “Whether you volunteer your time, advocate on behalf of kids in your community, or even buy a spatula, you join millions in the belief that America’s kids deserve to grow up healthy and strong.”
“Sluggish and hungry is not the recipe for a child’s success,” added Bell. “That’s why I’m working with No Kid Hungry to connect kids to the food they need to reach their full potential.”The spatulas, sold at $12.95, are available online and in selected Williams Sonoma stores. The company is aiming to raise $2 million, an equivalent of 20 million meals for children across America, with 30% of the price for each spatula donated to No Kid Hungry. An additional $5,000 will also be donated by the designer whose spatula sells out first.
BTS — short for the Bangtan Boys — is a seven-member boy band from South Korea. The group debuted in 2013, going on to win awards within a year’s time from the MelOn Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards and the Seoul Music Awards. BTS also made history with its second full-length album Wings charting at #1 on iTunes in nearly 30 countries and debuting at #26 on the Billboard 200; previously a K-pop album had never charted so high in the U.S. Forbes recognized BTS as the most retweeted artist on Twitter in March 2016, while Billboard placed BTS in the #1 spot on its Social 50 chart in October 2016. Earlier this year, BTS ranked at #5 on the Power Celebrity list of Forbes Korea.
2017 has not only brought the release of a new BTS album, You Never Walk Alone, but also a world tour. 117,000 tickets have been reportedly sold for this tour, which includes New York area stops at the Prudential Center on Mar. 23 and 24. Following the pair of sold-out concerts in Newark, BTS has sold-out arena shows in Chicago and Anaheim. In celebration of these major events, Downtown conducted Q&A with all of the BTS members — Rap Monster (Kim Namjun/Team Leader, Rapper), JIN (Kim Seokjin/Vocalist), SUGA (Min Yoonki/Rapper), J-HOPE (Jung Hoseok/Choreographer & Rapper), JIMIN (Park Jimin/Choreographer & Vocalist), V (Kim Taehyung/Vocalist) and JUNG KOOK (Jeon Jungkook/Vocalist, Rapper, Choreographer) — via e-mail.
Jung Kook: Yes, it was our first time in the city. We were very excited to go back with even bigger shows packed with new songs and performances.
Did you try any restaurants while in New York? Any sightseeing experiences that were especially memorable?
Rap Monster: I loved Shake Shack last time I was in New York. Best burger yet! Thank god we have Shake Shack in Seoul now. I was enchanted by the scene at Times Square because it was my first time as a tourist.
J-Hope: I tried a Korean restaurant in New York back then and the meal was some of the best Korean food in the world. I also loved walking around Midtown area and Times Square. Awesome!
V: I had the best Korean food at Korea Town in New York!
Will you have any time to explore New York during your tour dates?
Jung Kook: Our tour schedule is very tight this time since we have other shows coming up in Chicago and the L.A area. We hope we can find some time to explore New York during the stay to check out the beautiful night skyline and everything else.
Suga: “Spring Day,” the lead single. I wrote the lyrics based on my very personal story that involves my old friends.
Jung Kook: “Not Today.” It has very intense lyrics that excite people and I especially love choreography of the song. It is one of the best and coolest of BTS.
Aside from your upcoming tour, what is coming up for you and BTS?
Jung Kook: The upcoming tour is the most important event for us in 2017. We’re trying to go to as many cities as possible this year. We’re also planning to write more music on our own.
What is your favorite part of touring?
Jimin: Favorite part of touring is that we get to meet thousands of fans from around the world. Wherever we go, fans are passionate and they show us lot of unconditional love. It is very special experience for all of us to sing and perform in front of people who are singing the song in Korean together.
When not busy with BTS, how do you like to spend your free time?
Jin: When not practicing, I’d stay home and take rest. I like playing games with other members and watching TV.
J-Hope: I write lyrics or play around with tracks I’ve made. I also try to study foreign languages during my free time.
Jung Kook: I work out from time to time and play games with my BTS brothers at home.
Rap Monster: I usually read books in my free time. I go out and meet my friends sometimes. But most of the time, I wander around the city listening to music.
Rap Monster: dvsn’s dvsn, J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only, Chainsmokers’ Collage EP, Justin Bieber’s Purpose, and Flume’s Skin.
Finally, any last words for the kids?
Jung Kook: Hey, BTS is coming to New York! We’ve been waiting for this tour for a long time. We’ve got so much prepared for the shows, so expect the unexpected of K-pop!
Trip.com is an innovative planning tool that tailors recommendations for places to stay, eat and play to your specific tastes. It also allows you to share your great experiences with people who have the same interests as you; people in your “tribes.”
Trip.com’s TripPicks This Week feature empowers you to discover and take advantage of great events, openings and exhibits throughout the city each week.
Here are some exciting events and sites to check out this week in Downtown New York, courtesy of Trip.com. Visit the Trip.com site or download the app for more upcoming events.
Photo: Kevin Lu @sweatengine/Trip.com
1. Historic Square Parks
Madison Square Park (Flatiron)
Saturday, Dec. 10 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
It might be tiny, but Madison Square Park packs a historic punch! Join the Urban Park Rangers for a tour of this small gem and discover its unique qualities, beyond the home of the original Shake Shack. Registration is required. FREE
Take a ride back in time on the MTA’s vintage train or bus. The “Nostalgia Shoppers’ Special Trains” will run three Sundays in December, but the retro buses operate daily along the 42nd street route. Hopping on one of these vintage beauties is a real Christmas treat. There will also be a New York Transit Museum pop-up store at the 2nd Avenue station stop. $2.75 a ride
To tide you over until (fingers and toes crossed) the next revival, get your Lorelai and Rory fix at the Gilmore Girls Brunch Trivia hosted by Trivia, AD. Cheers to that! FREE
Miracle On 9th Street
4. Miracle on 9th Street
Mace (Lower East Side)
Monday-Friday from 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM; Saturday-Sunday from 4:00 PM to 2:00 AM — through Saturday, Dec. 24
If you like your drinks with spice and mint and your bar decor blinking and sparkling in Christmas kitsch, then hit up Mace bar which is once again Miracle on 9th Street. The Christmas themed pop-up is going totally overboard to serve customers Christmas drinks and lots of holiday cheer.
Bring the whole family to Brookfield Place’s spectacular Winter Garden for a an afternoon of dancing and singing. Three live DJs will spinning beats that will have kids and adults partying it up! and dancing. FREE
You can’t not love the Coen brothers’ masterpiece Fargo! Where else do you see a pregnant cop go bad-ass on vicious killers? But wait, there is more! The screening is FREE and includes post-screening munchies and discussion!
No Kid Hungry — an extension of Share Our Strength — has been working for decades to help end childhood hunger. As a partner of many major brands, shopping you had already planned on doing at places like Williams-Sonoma, Shake Shack and Walmart may have benefited No Kid Hungry without you knowing. In 2009, Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry engaged 3,900 restaurants, leading to $575,000 being raised in the campaign’s first year. Just a few years later in 2010, Share Our Strength had reported $24.8 million in revenue through its fundraising platforms, donations, and dozens of corporate sponsorships.
This summer, No Kid Hungry launched a partnership with Williams-Sonoma in which top celebrities designed limited-edition spatulas. Williams-Sonoma will donate 30% of the retail price from each spatula purchased to No Kid Hungry PLUS an additional $5,000 on behalf of the designer whose spatula sells out first. Three of the participating celebrities offered quotes to Downtown about this partnership:
– Chrissy Teigen: “My spatula design is symbolic for the most important meal of the day: Breakfast! Everybody deserves a bright start to their day so let’s support No Kid Hungry and work together to end childhood hunger in America.”
– Ayesha Curry – “Balanced eating is so important to my family. I started working with No Kid Hungry because making sure that families and children have access to nutritious and affordable food is a cause I care deeply about. With my Williams-Sonoma spatulas, it’s ‘thyme to cook,’ and it’s thyme to make a change!”
– Danica Patrick – “I was a part of the Williams-Sonoma ‘Tools for Change’ program last year and I’m so honored to be a part of it again. The spatulas are all really cute and I had a lot of fun designing mine. They’re such useful tools that people can use every day and it’s great that they allow us all to cook in support of a great cause like No Kid Hungry.”
Chrissy Teigen
Jill Davis, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships at Share Our Strength, spoke to Downtown at length about her involvement with No Kid Hungry. Besides www.nokidhungry.org, the organization can be followed on Twitter and Instagram.
Where did the idea for these wonderful spatulas come from?
Jill Davis: We are so proud to partner with an innovative and creative partner like Williams-Sonoma. The spatula concept came from discussions about creating unique ways for people who love to cook to make a difference in work to end childhood hunger in America. The spatulas are fun additions to every kitchen and make great gifts for aspiring young chefs! 30 percent of the proceeds of each spatula supports No Kid Hungry’s work to feed kids in need.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve made with one of the spatulas? Or at least plan to?
JD: We have some amazing bakers on our team. Every month we hold a staff baking contest and I’ve seen — and tasted — some pretty fantastic dishes, many of which were baked with the Williams-Sonoma spatulas. I will definitely be using a spatula for my next entry!
The name of your organization makes it clear about what your mission is, but what can you tell me about how it makes that happen?
JD: One in five kids in the U.S. struggles with hunger. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger in this country by connecting kids in need to programs like school breakfast and summer meals, and teaching low-income families to cook healthy, affordable foods. We partner with local organizations around the country to generate the will and skill to help communities feed children in need every day of the year.
Chrissy Teigen’s spatula for No Kid Hungry
Do you have a No Kid Hungry accomplishment that you’re proudest of?
JD: Two years ago, we announced our ambitious goal of adding one million kids to the breakfast program by 2016 — and we did it. That means one million more kids have the food they need to focus on their school day. It means one million more tests aced, one million more hands raised ready with the answer, and one million more math problems solved. We are so proud of this accomplishment and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing partners like Williams-Sonoma.
I know No Kid Hungry also recently partnered with Shake Shack. What else is coming up for No Kid Hungry?
JD: No Kid Hungry has actually been working with Shake Shack for five years. The restaurant’s Great American Shake Sale has raised over $1 million in support of our work. In addition to Shake Shack, every September No Kid Hungry partners with thousands of restaurants across the country to support our work to end childhood hunger in America. Individuals can dine out all month long and help kids in need. Visit NoKidHungry.org for details.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
JD: There are so many incredible restaurants in D.C. I love dining out and trying new places, especially if I can support some of No Kid Hungry’s great chef champions.
Finally, Jill, any last words for the kids?
JD: Young leaders play a big role in our work. Kids and teens can help end childhood hunger by joining Generation No Kid Hungry, our youth-focused supporter network. Learn more at generationnokidhungry.org.
“Sluggish and hungry is not the recipe for a child’s success,” added Bell. “That’s why I’m working with No Kid Hungry to connect kids to the food they need to reach their full potential.”
The spatulas, sold at $12.95, are available online and in selected Williams Sonoma stores. The company is aiming to raise $2 million, an equivalent of 20 million meals for children across America, with 30% of the price for each spatula donated to No Kid Hungry. An additional $5,000 will also be donated by the designer whose spatula sells out first.
