JAMIE & BOBBY DEEN
Jamie Deen is a chef, entrepreneur, author and son of American cooking and lifestyle icon Paula Deen. Jamie currently hosts Home for Dinner on the Food Network, which launched in June 2012. Along with his brother Bobby, Jamie owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Ga. where his fundraiser will be held. The Lady & Sons was named International Meal of the Year by USA Today in 1999. Jamie and his brother Bobby have published four books: The Deen Bros. Cookbook Recipes from the Road (2007), Y’all Come Eat (2008), Take It Easy (2009) and Get Fired Up (2011). They’ve also expanded their efforts with a line of spices, barbecue sauces and T-shirts. Today, Jamie lives with his wife, Brooke, and their two children in Savannah. Jamie serves on the boards of the Bethesda Home for Boys and the Coastal America’s Second Harvest, and is a sought-after speaker at small-business conferences, schools and community outreach programs. The American Culinary Federation (ACF) and the makers of Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Dressings & Dips are partnering for a second year to host the Lunch Break for Kids national fundraiser, an effort created to support childhood nutrition education programs. The Lunch Break for Kids program highlights ways for parents and kids to come together with chefs and schools to learn more about how simple, good food can make healthier bodies and stronger family connections.
LISA TILLINGER JOHANSEN - "FAST FOOD VINDICATION"
LISA TILLINGER JOHANSEN spent seven years as a real estate manager for McDonald’s Corporation before enrolling at California State University Los Angeles and earning a Master’s Degree in Nutritional Science. Now a Registered Dietitian at Kaiser Permanente, Johansen teaches nutrition classes and counsels patients on a wide range of health issues. She lives in Southern California. For years, dozens of books, documentaries, and magazine articles have targeted the fast food industry as the cause for many of society’s ills, ranging from the obesity epidemic to the proliferation of dead-end jobs. Now, hospital dietitian Lisa Johansen makes the bold case that the fast food industry is actually a positive force in society. Johansen takes the reader from the industry’s scrappy, entrepreneurial beginnings to its emergence as a global business generating hundreds of billions of dollars annually. Far from a blight on society, the fast food industry has distinguished itself by providing a product that meets high standards of quality and safety, often healthier than meals served at home and in sit-down restaurants. The myth of the “McJob” is debunked by true-life cases of corporate titans who succeeded by virtue of the fast-food chains’ practice of promoting from within.
Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza
Mario Lopez, 38, perhaps most known for his former role on Saved by the Bell, is the current host of syndicated entertainment news show Extra, and recently announced host of Fox’s nationwide talent search show X Factor. Over the years, Lopez has appeared on Dancing with the Stars, guest-starred on various hit TV shows, published two books and held a number of hosting duties including MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, and the Miss Teen USA, Miss America, and Miss Universe pageants. In 2008, Lopez made his Broadway debut in the revival of A Chorus Line, where he met his future fiancée, dancer Courtney Mazza, 28. The couple, who has been dating since 2008, have a 2-year old daughter, Gia. The couple announced their engagement during the 2011-2012 New Year’s weekend and plan to get married in Mexico later this year. Mario and Courtney currently star on VH1 reality show Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby, which premiered in November 2010. Mario and Courtney will announce the NIVEA "Kiss of the Year" contest on Facebook. Helping NIVEA search for the couple who deserves to have their "Kiss of the Year" on NIVEA's Kiss Stage this New Year's Eve. All you have to do is log onto Facebook.com/NIVEAusa and tell them why you and your loved one should experience your New Year's Eve kiss on the Times Square stage, in front of millions of people. It could be a heartwarming story about love. It could be about overcoming the odds. It could be about how you've made society a better place. It could even be a lighthearted tale about you and your better half. Together with a panel of judges, they'll help identify the three couples with the most heartwarming story. Then, it's up to America to vote for the winning couple that will join us on the NIVEA Kiss Stage in Times Square on New Year's Eve.
