When an event such as Grandma's Marathon takes place for 33 consecutive years, many things are inevitable. Among them - great races, great stories, and great traditions. For Grandma's Marathon, no other part of the annual race weekend has evolved into a tradition quite like the Michelina's^® All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner.

 

Each year Michelina's^® parent company, Bellisio Foods, Inc., provides more than two thousand pounds of noodles and more than five thousand pounds of sauce; giving runners an essential carbohydrate boost before setting out on their journey down the North Shore to the finish line in festive Canal Park in Duluth, Minnesota.

 

In addition to assisting runners, Bellisio Foods, Inc. has helped Grandma's marathon become known for having one of the best "Pre-race Pasta Parties" in the nation. Receiving rave reviews from those who attend the dinner, people are always curious how Michelina's pasta and sauce can be served in such a high quantity and still taste so fresh. Just one glance at the 'seconds' line confirms the quality of the spaghetti dinner.

 

"The food is tremendous, and so is the atmosphere," says Linda Hanson, Grandma's Marathon's finance and operations director who helps oversee the spaghetti dinner. "Year after year, people choose the Michelina's^® Spaghetti Dinner as their group meeting place. It is simply a great venue at which to enjoy a terrific pre-race meal."

 

Started in 1990, the Michelina's^® brand of frozen foods is based on founder Jeno F. Paulucci's premise that success can be achieved if good people use only the freshest ingredients to produce the finest quality products with the best value possible. This dedication to quality, along with the innovation of separating the pasta from the sauce within the package, has helped Bellisio Foods, Inc. to become one of the world's leading brands in frozen entrees and snacks. In fact, one out of every four frozen entrees sold in North America is a product of Bellisio Foods, Inc.

 

Michelina's^® is named for Paulucci's mother, who shared customs, beliefs, and recipes from Italy after moving to northern Minnesota. "In preparing my mother's best recipes with meticulous care, we honor her with quality products that bear her name," says Jeno.

 

Nicknamed the "frozen food king," Paulucci has created and built more than 50 companies and organizations worldwide over the course of a career that spans nearly 70 years. Ernst & Young has honored Paulucci with the International Lifetime Achievement Award for Activism, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership for his seven decades of civic accomplishment.

 

Today, Bellisio Foods, Inc. produces more than 200 frozen entrees and snacks under the Authentico^®, Budget Gourmet^®, Michelina's Lean Gourmet^®, Signature^®, Traditional Recipes, and Grande brands. The products can be found at virtually any grocery store in the U.S. and Canada, as well as other locations worldwide.

 

 

For more information about Michelina's^® Annual Spaghetti Dinner, or Grandma's Marathon 2010, click here!