SOLANO COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS TO PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL SALVATION ARMY COOKING CONTEST
“T.O.P. Chefs” event to pit teams from San Francisco, Oakland and Solano County
A team of Solano County first responders, including Suisun City Police Department Chief Tim Mattos, Solano County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Thomas A. Ferrara and Deputy Joe Pinder, will participate in the second annual Salvation Army T.O.P. (Taste of Preparedness) Chefs cooking competition on Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at the Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco. The noontime event will pit various Bay Area first responder teams, including the San Francisco Police Department, Hayward Police Department, Red Cross Bay Area and the reigning T.O.P. Chefs champions, the Oakland Fire Department.
The contestants will be asked to prepare a main dish and side dish from ingredients provided to them the day of the event. The ingredients represent items that could go into a disaster kit: non-perishables, freeze-dried items, bottled fluids, etc. Teams will be given 30 minutes to prepare the meal and then will be judged by a panel of local chefs on a criteria of taste, quality of meal, presentation, and, of course, creativity. Cooking supplies (pots, pans, and utensils), a multi-burner camp stove and a variety of spices will be provided to each team.
The Salvation Army is also utilizing T.O.P. Chefs as a way to bring awareness of disaster preparedness. Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services canteens (mobile kitchens) and the Army’s new Solano County Mobile Assistance Vehicle will be on display for the public to view. Staff will also be on hand to provide information about creating an at-home disaster kit, signing up to volunteer, or registering for disaster response training.
Rachel K. Strack
Marketing Manager
The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
586 East Wigeon Way | Suisun City, CA 94585
(707) 439-7900 | Rachel.Strack@usw.SalvationArmy.org | www.GoKroc.org