Massachusetts Governor Makes Good on Stanley Cup Wager with Governor Quinn

CHICAGO – Illinois Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has made good on their Stanley Cup wager by volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The two Governors made a wager on the outcome of the recent Chicago Blackhawks – Boston Bruins series for professional hockey’s top prize, and Governor Patrick paid his debt in full today by helping an organization that assists hundreds of thousands of Chicago residents in need.

The Governors volunteered together at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which is a not-for-profit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in the Chicago area. More than 1.8 million Illinois residents face food insecurity, including 745,000 children. In some area communities, more than one in three people are food insecure.

“The Blackhawks may have won the Stanley Cup, but today’s volunteer work is a win-win for both Illinois and Massachusetts,” Governor Quinn said. “Governor Patrick is a good man and a good sport. We all respect the Bruins’ hard work and we appreciate Governor Patrick’s trip to Illinois today to make good on this friendly wager.”

The Greater Chicago Food Depository distributes an average of 150,000 meals every day through a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. It also provides innovative training programs that provide people with the tools to break their individual cycles of poverty. For more information, visit www.chicagosfoodbank.org.

“Like all Chicagoans, we were thrilled to see the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup,” Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository said. “We welcome the service efforts of Governor Quinn and Governor Patrick as we’ve seen a 70 percent increase in the number of people served at pantries during the past five years.”

The Greater Chicago Food Depository co-chairs Governor Quinn’s Illinois Commission to End Hunger. It is one of the Serve Illinois Commission’s 30 AmeriCorps programs, whose members are part of the 2.8 million people in Illinois who contribute more than 360 million hours valued at more than $8.3 billion annually. The Governor’s Serve Illinois Commission was recently awarded $8 million in AmeriCorps grants that will support over 1,000 members in 30 programs across Illinois in 2014.

The Stanley Cup will reprise its 2010 visit to Springfield later this summer, where the public may view the trophy free of charge. The Chicago Blackhawks have now won five Stanley Cup championships.