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Parks & Public Spaces

December 2014, Parks Committee

Application from Farmland Food for “Santa’s Campaign for Bacon,” a special event in Herald Square on December 4th, 2014

WHEREAS, Farmland Food ("Applicant") has submitted an application to hold "Santa's Campaign for Bacon," a special event in Herald Square on December 4^th, 2014 from 7am to 10am; and

WHEREAS, Applicant is partnering with Feeding America to raise awareness of food insecurity and food banks in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The event would consist of one hundred Santas promoting the Applicant's bacon product, with fifteen 'brand ambassadors' encouraging members of the public to sign a pledge to leave bacon, instead of cookies and milk, for Santa Claus on Christmas night; and

WHEREAS, For every pledge signed, Applicant will donate one pound of pork to Feeding America to distribute to one of their food banks for people in need; and

WHEREAS, The event would include one stage, 75 hand-held signs, three sandwich boards, 15 ipads, and a step and repeat where people will have their picture taken with Santa; and

WHEREAS, Set up for the event will begin at 4:00 am and will include removing all furniture from the plaza and cordoning off plants and trees, with clean-up to be completed by noon the same day; and

WHEREAS, Farmland Food will hold the event within the plaza only, and is working with a private security firm to ensure free pedestrian flow on 34^th Street; and

WHEREAS, There will be no amplified sound or music whatsoever; and

WHEREAS, Community Board Five has concerns regarding the distribution of the pork donation to food banks in the area, and requested that at least 50% of the food donations is distributed to food banks in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut; and

WHEREAS, Board Members also have concerns about the promotion of Feeding America as part of the event, and request that event signage be changed so the "Feeding for America" logo figures as prominently as the Farmland logo in all of the signs and hand-outs; therefore, be it 

RESOLVED, Community Board Five recommends denial of the application from Farmland Food for "Santa's Campaign for Bacon," a special event in Herald Square on December 4^th, 2014, unless the event signage is modified so that the "Feeding for America" logo figures as prominently as the Farmland logo in all of the signs and hand-outs, and that at least 50% of the food donations is distributed to food banks in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.