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17 April 2009
More than 20,000 people across the country are preparing for Let’s Get Cooking’s national ‘cookathon’ on Tuesday 17 March. The event, which promises to be spectacular and wide spread, has attracted support from international sporting celebrities, media celebrities and a list of famous chefs.
Let’s Get Cooking’s first national competition, the cookathon, has set its clubs the challenge of getting as many people as possible on the same day preparing and cooking healthy food. A total £3,000 in cash awaits the winning clubs, with the national winner set to receive £1,000 to spend on their club.
Celebrities supporting the event include Olympic sailing champion Ben Ainslie, Olympic and Commonwealth champion boxer Amir Khan, and Big Brother contestants Samantha and Amanda Merchant.
Ben Ainslie said: “Being a sportsman means that I have to keep in great shape to stay at the top of my game. Eating healthily and being aware of the right foods to eat is a great way of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and has certainly contributed to my career success so far. Let’s Get Cooking is a great way to introduce healthy eating amongst children, their families and the community and to help them achieve a healthy way of life. I think the cookathon is a great way to teach people how to move towards eating healthier meals and wish the clubs every success in the cookathon”.
Amir Khan said: “From a young age I’ve always taken a keen interest in sports, and I knew in order to reach my goal of becoming a boxer, I had to stick to a healthy lifestyle and eat the right foods. I wish all the Let’s Get Cooking clubs the best of luck for their ‘cookathon’ and hope to see families and communities cooking healthier meals at home.”
Many famous chefs, including English chef and host of ITV’s Daily Cooks Challenge Anthony Worrall Thompson, Prue Leith, Rosemary Shrager and others, are also lending their support. Some of these celebrities will be visiting clubs on the day to roll up their sleeves and join the fun.
Participant numbers are set to go way beyond club members to include whole schools, parents and other family members, local businesses, restaurants, residential homes for the elderly, church groups and many more. One club is even reaching people in its partner school in Sri Lanka, asking their pupils to help get Britain cooking again.
Clubs will be judged on the total number of participants relative to the number on their school roll, and on the health quality of the food they prepare.
