CHARLOTTE, NC - Dole Food Company has announced the first recipient of its “Spirit of ‘Ohana” honor, given to groups and individuals who best demonstrate the hospitality and community-service themes of the Hawaiian concept of extended family.

As an encouragement to others to acknowledge those practicing the spirit of ‘Ohana in their families, neighborhoods, and communities, Dole has recognized Evan Ehlers, the founder & CEO of Sharing Excess, a national nonprofit committed to redistributing surplus food to communities in need.

The recognition is part of the produce leader’s “Spirit of Ohana” initiative offering themed recipes, digital downloads, family activities and in-store merchandising inspired by Disney’s Stitch and the earthly themes of hospitality associated with pineapples and other tropical fruit. Spirit of ‘Ohana honorees receive acknowledgement on Dole.com and a one-year supply of succulent DOLE® Tropical Gold® Pineapples in honor of June 26 as International Stitch Day and June 27 as International Pineapple Day.

Dole first began commercially growing and sharing pineapple with the world in 1901, and no brand is more iconically associated with innovating and showcasing this unique tropical fruit.

Starting today, Dole and Disney fans have the chance to honor those demonstrating an extended definition of family with their own Spirit of ‘Ohana award. Participants can download and print-out a My Ohana Certificate from Dole’s “Spirit of ‘Ohana” website and then personalize and present it to the everyday hero in their lives.

Ehlers got the idea for Sharing Excess in 2016 when, as a student at Drexel University, he had 50 leftover meal swipes and decided to use them to buy meals for those in need across Philadelphia. He founded the organization with a mission to rescue surplus and unsold food from wholesalers, distributors, and retailers, and deliver it to communities experiencing food insecurity.

Since then, Sharing Excess has distributed 135 million pounds of food, which equates to 110 million meals, and has fed 10 million people across 36 U.S. states. Ehlers has built a team of 55 full-time staff and 2,000 volunteers based in New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago, and has plans to expand to every major U.S port city and agricultural hub to close the 9.1 billion meal gap in America.

“By creating this nationwide model for surplus food rescue and distribution, Evan is the epitome of the idea of the extended ‘Ohana as not letting anyone get left behind,” said William Goldfield, director of communications for Dole Food Company, in a recent press release. “What’s even more remarkable is that he recruited Dole as one of the earliest Sharing Excess partners at one of our inbound ports of entry, the Port of Wilmington, and has since helped us rescue 800,000 pounds of fresh produce and redistribute it to the hungry in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.”

“At Sharing Excess, we start with the belief that food is the basic unit of life and something that every person deserves,” said Ehlers. “We know there’s more than enough resources for everyone to prosper; the problem isn’t supply, it’s access. That’s why we approach our work as if every person we serve is part of our extended family, and we won’t stop until all available resources, especially food, are shared in a way that allows everyone to live a healthy, dignified life.”

Said Ehlers: “To us, the spirit of ‘Ohana means showing up for one another and building systems rooted in shared responsibility and care. That’s because when one person in the family goes hungry, we all do.”

Dole’s “Spirit of ‘Ohana” continues through mid-September.  In addition to the recipes and digital downloads, there are posts on Dole’s Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages, and millions of commemorative DOLE® Tropical Gold Pineapple hangtags and DOLE® Banana stickers emblazoned with Disney’s Stitch in supermarkets throughout the U.S. and Canada.

To see all “Spirit of ‘Ohana” initiative elements, go to www.dole.com/disney.