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José Andrés receives $100 million donation from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos

Chef’s World Central Kitchen nonprofit will receive funds as part of billionaire’s new “Courage and Civility Award”

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

July 22, 2021

2 Min Read
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Jeff Bezos hugs Chef Jose Andres after announcing a $100 million award for projects that help humanity.Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty Images News

After his flight into suborbital space on Wednesday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced he would be donating $100 million to José Andrés and his nonprofit World Central Kitchen. The donation is part of a new prize Bezos is calling the “Courage and Civility Award.” Political commentator Van Jones also received $100 million.

Awardees of this prize must donate the $100 million prize money to the charity of their choice.

Andrés immediately announced he would be giving his prize money to World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit he established to feed the needy in the wake of natural disasters, and which has been feeding essential healthcare workers, poll workers and those on the front lines of racial justice protests since the pandemic started

In a statement obtained by Eater, Andrés said, “I’m so honored. I’m really grateful for this award, and the incredible support from Jeff and the entire Bezos family. World Central Kitchen was born from the simple idea that food has the power to create a better world. A plate of food is a plate of hope … it’s the fastest way to rebuild lives and communities.

“This award itself cannot feed the world on its own. But this is the start of a new chapter for us — it will allow us to think beyond the next hurricane to the bigger challenges we face. People of the world: now is the time to think really big, to solve hunger with the fierce urgency of now.

“The thing we want to do is revolutionize disaster and hunger relief. People don’t want our pity, they want our respect … the least we can do is be next to them when things get tough.”

Bezos, one of the richest people in the world, gave away approximately .08% of his net worth with the $200 million total donation to the award recipients.

Andrés recently announced a new restaurant space in Chicago with four of his concepts set to open this fall.

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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