For two years in a row, Marriott International (www.Marriott.com) has supported Chefs with Compassion to drive the biggest annual cook-off in honour of Nelson Mandela Day.

In the true spirit of Madiba – the spirit of togetherness and solidarity, this collaboration between chefs, corporates, communities and cooking for a cause is back once again this Mandela Day and raised considerable cash for Chefs with Compassion.

#67000litres for Mandela Challenge called upon all individuals and businesses with access to a kitchen including hotels to clear out their pantries, rescue and freeze vegetables and use ingredients sourced sustainably to highlight the message of #FeedBelliesNotBins. The participants were challenged to cook as many litres of delicious, nourishing soup as they can in 67 minutes throughout the Mandela Day weekend of Saturday 16 to Monday 18 July, and deliver it to the beneficiary organisation of their choice.

Marriott International responded to the call with several hotels across the country who leapt at the opportunity to support the non-profit organisation in exceeding their Mandela Challenge targets.

“The #67000litres Challenge was an ideal way to get citizens to actively give back to others. While feeding countless destitute communities, it also highlighted a very important message: that the amount of food wasted in each stage of the food supply process is enough to feed every hungry South African three meals a day,” explains Chef Coo of Chefs with Compassion.

The Westin Cape Town, Protea Hotel by Marriott Cape Town Waterfront Breakwater Lodge & Marriott Cape Town Crystal Towers were the first to sign up for the challenge here in the Western Cape, within an hour of going live on 16^th July. They were supported by hotels throughout the country, including Protea Hotel by Marriott O.R. Tambo Airport, Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch, Protea Hotel by Marriott Clarens and Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Durban Umhlanga Ridge to mention a few.

“Having just emerged from one of the most challenging times, it’s hard to comprehend how many fellow South Africans are not afforded the basic need such as one meal per day. With the rising cost of food, it makes it very difficult for underprivileged South Africans to afford essential food items resulting in millions of South Africans going hungry daily.  There could not be a more essential time to assist our struggling communities by supporting feeding initiatives, such as Chefs with Compassion says Leon Meyer, Chair of Marriott’s South Africa Business Council. The national target of 67 000 litres of soup was exceeded and over 94,000 litres of soup were cooked, feeding 362,716 people hearty cups of soup across the country.

Richard Collins, Area Vice President - Sub-Saharan Africa, Marriott International said, “We’re extremely proud to have participated in this meaningful initiative as giving back and supporting our local communities is core to our values at Marriott International. Although our industry has witnessed hardship the past two years, our hotels continued to support local communities and have made a tangible difference in the lives of many.”