All revenue from locally grown “Bronx” & “Queens 7 Hot Sauce” sold at Sundays Chill Festival at Brooklyn will be donated to aid the recovery
Small Axe Peppers, the company behind “The Bronx Hot Sauce” and “Queens 7 Hot Sauce,” will donate all sales from this Sunday’s 25th Annual Chile Festival to assist Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria recovery efforts. Many of the urban farmers who grow pepper for The Bronx and Queens 7 Hot Sauce and grow peppers used to make these hot sauces are from Puerto Rico or have loved ones there. Both sauces use peppers grown in more than 40 community gardens throughout the two boroughs to make these hometown hot sauces. The award winning economic model strengthens community gardens by purchasing the peppers they grow for a premium price. The revenue raise helps fund the impactful work they do in their communities every day.
The Chili Festival will be held at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens featuring spicy wares from around the country along with live music and cold beer. Chile Pepper Festival, where visitors can enjoy outdoor performances by world music acts from around the globe alongside a marketplace to sample and buy an array of delicacies featuring chili peppers from nearly 50 food artisans.
“Puerto Rico has been devastated by Hurricane Maria, and she needs our help. Every donation helps, and I greatly appreciate the generosity of Small Axe Peppers on behalf of the people of The Bronx, who have a deep connection with the island and its people. Thank you for giving back,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
“The devastation caused by Hurricane Maria will require many people coming together to help the commonwealth avoid a humanitarian disaster,” said John A. Crotty, Senior Director of Community Impact. “New Yorkers understand all too well what devastation a big storm can bring, having lived through Hurricane Sandy just five years ago. Using our sales to help Puerto Rico in its desperate time of need is simply what we must do.”
Funds will be donated to “Unidos” (United), a hurricane relief fund to help those impacted by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The program will be managed by the Hispanic Federation, a leading Latino nonprofit organization with more than 25 years of experience in providing disaster-relief assistance to Latinos in the United States and Latin America. One hundred percent of the proceeds will help hurricane victims and the recovery efforts through fellow community and civic organizations in Puerto Rico.
“Puerto Rico is the homeland for many of the people involved in the community garden movement here in NYC”, said Raymond Figueroa, President of the New York City Community Coalition and a Program Director at the Brook Park Youth Community Farm. “The situation back in Puerto Rico is absolutely gut-wrenching and very upsetting to watch. And, it necessitates us doing what we can here in the States to help the Island in this time of such immense need. As Community Gardeners, we already know what it takes to pull together and get things done. And now, we want to pull our weight and do our part to help our families and communities suffering in back home in Puerto Rico – too many of whom remain cut-off from all communications and much needed water, medicines, and other basic supplies.”
Small Axe Peppers was founded with the belief that building communities cannot be done with just bricks and mortar. In order to be successful, communities are built by people working together. The Bronx and Queens Hot Sauces are made with peppers sourced locally from community gardens at premium prices.
The Chili Festival will take place Sunday, October 1 from 10 am to 6 pm at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Brooklyn’s end-of-summer blowout sets the Garden ablaze with scorching bands from around the world, dozens of fiery food artisans, and hours of chile-chocolate debauchery. “Bronx Hot Sauce” and “Queens 7 Hot Sauce” will be available for sale with proceeds benefitting victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.