The Greater Chicago Food Depository, shown distributing groceries at an event last summer, distributes food to over 500,000 adults and children in Cook County each year.

Greater Chicago Food Depository
beneficiary for May 21 event in Grant Park

CHICAGO, March 25, 2009 — The Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) has been selected as the beneficiary for the 28th annual JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge at Grant Park.

The annual 3.5-mile team road race, scheduled for Thursday, May 21, attracted an event-record crowd of 23,603 entrants from 632 Chicagoland companies in 2008 and early registration figures indicate a similar crowd will be on hand this year. JPMorgan Chase will make a donation for each entry to GCFD.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 600 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 500,000 adults and children in Cook County every year.

Last year, the Food Depository distributed 46 million pounds of nonperishable food and fresh produce, dairy products and meat, the equivalent of 95,000 meals every day. The Food Depository has seen an increase of 33 percent in the number of people turning to pantries in the past year, including many newly unemployed and people who have never needed food assistance before.

GCFD and the Corporate Challenge will also provide participants the opportunity to be engaged in an advance and race-night food drive. More details will be forthcoming on these initiatives in the coming weeks.

Registration for the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Chicago will remain open until Wednesday, May 6. All participants must work a minimum of 25 hours per week and need to enter as a part of a team comprised of their work colleagues. The minimum size of a company team is four, and there is no maximum. Please email Chicago@jpmorganchasecc.com with any questions.

The JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series, a past recipient of the prestigious “Charitable Event of the Year” award by USA Track & Field, annually donates more than $600,000 to worthy non-profits at our 12 events around the world.