Recap: 4th Annual School Lunch Challenge

This Year's Winners...

Each year we give out two awards at the School Lunch Challenge -- our overall champion, determined by our panel of student judges (students in grades 2-12 drawn from schools in the Clarke County School District) and our crowd favorite, voted on by all attendees at the event. This year for the first time in our competition's history, the same team won both awards! Dondero's Kitchen's chicken fajitas and spiced roasted sweet potatoes won over adults and kids alike! This winning dish will be incorporated into the school lunch menu for the Clarke County School District during the 2018-2019 school year. 

Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe came in a close second in the crowd favorite voting with their pizadilla served with chopped salad. The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia came in second in the crowd favorite voting for their turkey, cheese & veggie panini served with steamed broccoli with lemon zest. As always, the voting this year was incredibly tight, and we are grateful to all of our teams for their efforts in creating such delicious dishes! A full listing of our participating restaurants, chefs, support staff, and dishes can be found below. 

As always, our teams all did a great job creating dishes that met the USDA nutrition guidelines and which met the cost ($1.50 per full plate produced) and time restrictions (1.5 hours to prep and serve) provided to them. We thank all of our chefs, volunteers, and sponsors for making this event happen! Photos from the event are available on the Russell Library's Facebook Page.

Politics in Everyday Life

This even was inspired by the exhibition, Food, Power, and Politics: The Story of School Lunch, produced by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies in 2015. Georgia's Senator Richard B. Russell co-sponsored the National School Lunch Act, passed in 1946, which created the National School Lunch Program. Our staff produced the School Lunch Challenge to connect people to food, history, and each other -- and to highlight the ongoing impact that a single piece of legislation can have on the daily lives of citizens. 

If you are interested in learning more about legislative history or politics in Georgia, please visit our website to browse our collections, or stop in to visit our reading room or exhibit gallery at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries on the UGA campus. The building is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Interested in scheduling a group tour? Fill out our online tour request form or stop by for our weekly Tuesday Tour at 2PM.

It Takes a Village! Thank You to Our 2018...

Event MC
Dr. Caree Cotwright

Event Sponsors
Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

Clarke County School District
Mayfield Dairy Farms
Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department
College of Family and Consumer Sciences, UGA
Department of Foods and Nutrition, UGA
The Fresh Market
Seed Life Skills
Athens Land Trust
Athens Farm to School
Heirloom Cafe and Fresh Market

Competing Teams
Last Resort Grill
Chefs: Larry Vivian, Jordan Sanchez
Menu: Macaroni & Cheese with Chicken & Cheetos Cauliflower
CCSD Volunteers: Sara Sheridan, Sonya Lawrence, Teresa Sisson

Dondero's Kitchen
Chefs: Tim Dondero, Isabella Westrich
Menu: Chicken Fajitas & Spiced Roasted Sweet Potatoes
CCSD Volunteers: Jenissa Gordon, CIndy Lane, Yinelis Hernandez

Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
Staff: Whit Richardson, Ana Camacho
Menu: Pizadilla with Chopped Salad
CCSD Volunteers: Chelsea Freeman, Ana Vaca, Dawn Baker

Food Bank of Northeast Georgia
Staff: Beegee Elder, Tracey Massey
Menu: Turkey, Cheese, & Veggie Panini with Steamed Broccoli with Lemon Zest
CCSD Volunteers: Larkin Kelly, Selene Huato, Michelle Lawrence


Demonstration Chefs
Charles Hay (The Olive Basket)
Ashley Na & Renee Smith (Athens Land Trust)
Brent Plagenhoef (Taqueria del Sol)
Rachel Hicks (Young Urban Farmers)

Information Table Hosts
Athens Farmers Market
School Garden Network/Keep ACC Beautiful
Richard B. Russell Library
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia
Strong Girls
Northeast Georgia Dietetic Association (NEGDA)

UGA Peer Nutrition Educators
Athens Area Master Gardeners
Athens Clarke County Solid Waste Department
Oconee River Greenway Commission

Planning Committee
Caree Cotwright
Connie Roberts
Hillary Savage
Jessica Rothacker
Jill SEvern
Joe Dunlop
Paula Farmer
Stacy Smith
Rachel Watkins
Jan Hebbard
Kelsey Thompson