Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) (http://www.groupon.com) today launched a Groupon Grassroots campaign and sweepstakes to win an epic trip to New York with VIP access to the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE, which includes a meet and greet with legendary comedienne Whoopi Goldberg at the festival’s Cooking Channel presents Chicken Coupe event. The sweepstakes is part of a campaign to raise funds for the hunger-relief organizations Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry and Food Bank For New York City.

Groupon Offers Chance for Meet-and-Greet with Chicken Coupe Host Whoopi Goldberg at 2014 Food Networ ...

Groupon Offers Chance for Meet-and-Greet with Chicken Coupe Host Whoopi Goldberg at 2014 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival (Photo: Business Wire)

The Groupon sweepstakes* offers an exclusive opportunity for one winner and a guest to get a one-of-a-kind package granting access to private tastings, meet and greets with celebrity chefs and all the benefits of a VIP pass to the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival. The festival welcomes legendary chefs from around the world for four days of socializing, networking and most importantly, tasting and imbibing. The festival benefits the hunger-relief programs of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Bank For New York City. One hundred percent of the donations to the Groupon Grassroots campaign will go directly to these two hunger-relief organizations.

One sweepstakes winner and a guest will receive:

  • Airfare to New York City from anywhere in the continental U.S.
  • Hotel accommodations for five nights at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Metropolitan
  • Two passes to the Cooking Channel Presents Chicken Coupe hosted by Whoopi Goldberg on Thursday, Oct. 16
  • Meet and greet with legendary comedienne Whoopi Goldberg
  • Two Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival passes, which include:
    • Grand Tasting presented by ShopRite on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including access to reserved seating at KitchenAid® Culinary Demonstrations presented by MasterCard®
      • Access to event also includes upgraded access to Wine GEMS Collection Room & Boutique Spirits Collection Room
    • Ronzoni’s La Sagra Slices hosted by Bongiovi Brand Pasta Sauces & Adam Richman presented by Time Out New York
    • Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray
    • Jets + Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate hosted by Joe Namath & Mario Batali
    • Meatopia X: The Carnivore’s Ball presented by Creekstone Farms hosted by Michael Symon
    • Oktoberfest sponsored by The Village Voice presented by Jägermeister hosted by Andrew Zimmern
  • Two invitations to the official Chef After Parties

The seventh annual Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival takes place Oct. 16-19, 2014. To date, the Festival has raised more than $7.5 million to help fight hunger.

Groupon is also selling tickets to events throughout the festival, including:

  • Hot Dog Happy Hour Hosted by Mo Rocca on Friday, Oct. 17
  • Stacked: A Sandwich Showdown Hosted by Robert Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 18
  • Oktoberfest event Hosted by Andrew Zimmern on Sunday, Oct. 19
  • Mixology Masters hosted by Justin Warner on Sunday, Oct. 19
  • Dim Sum Party hosted by Dale Talde at Buddakan on Sunday, Oct. 19

About the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE

The Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival is hosted by and benefits the Food Bank For New York City and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry, with 100% of the Festival’s net proceeds helping fight hunger. Southern Wine & Spirits of New York is the exclusive provider of wine and spirits at the Festival. More information about the Festival can be found at www.nycwff.org.

About Share Our Strength

No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry® campaign is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals and teaches low-income families to cook healthy, affordable meals through its Cooking Matters program. This work is accomplished through the No Kid Hungry network, made up of private citizens, public officials, nonprofits, business leaders and others providing innovative hunger solutions in their communities. The No Kid Hungry campaign’s work to increase summer meals participation is generously supported by national sponsor the Arby’s Foundation and Sodexo Foundation. Join the cause at NoKidHungry.org.

About Groupon

Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) is a global leader of local commerce and the place you start when you want to buy just about anything, anytime, anywhere. By leveraging the company’s global relationships and scale, Groupon offers consumers a vast marketplace of unbeatable deals all over the world. Shoppers discover the best a city has to offer on the web or on mobile with Groupon Local, enjoy vacations with Groupon Getaways, and find a curated selection of electronics, fashion, home furnishings and more with Groupon Goods.

Groupon is redefining how traditional small businesses attract, retain and interact with customers by providing merchants with a suite of products and services, including customizable deal campaigns, credit card payment processing capabilities, and point-of-sale solutions that help businesses grow and operate more effectively.To search for great deals or subscribe to Groupon emails, visit www.Groupon.com. To download Groupon's five-star mobile apps, visit www.groupon.com/mobile. To learn more about the company’s merchant solutions and how to work with Groupon, visit www.GrouponWorks.com.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES RECEIVED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes only open to legal residents of the 48 continental U.S. or D.C. 21 years old and older. Sweepstakes begins on or about 12:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) on September 8, 2014 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on September 14, 2014,. Mailed entries must be postmarked by 12:00 p.m. Central Time (“CT”) on September 14, 2014, and received no later than 12:00 pm CT on September 19, 2014. Approximate ARV of all prizes: $4,900.00. Subject to full Official Rules [enable link]. Sponsor: Groupon, Inc., 600 West Chicago Avenue, Ste. 400, Chicago, IL 60654. Enter online at http://www.groupon.com/whoopi, which requires donation of $10 or more to support Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry and Food Bank For New York City, or to enter by mail and avoid the donation, send a 3x5 card in a hand-addressed, stamped envelope, with your full name, complete address, home and daytime telephone number (including area code), e-mail address and date of birth to: “Attention: Groupon’s Epic Whoopi Goldberg Food and Wine Festival Sweepstakes Entry”, Groupon, Inc., 600 West Chicago Avenue, Ste. 400, Chicago, IL 60654. Use an envelope for privacy. Maximum 5 entries per day regardless of method. Donation will not increase chances of winning.