Traverse City’s Chef Paul, Bikes and No Kid Hungry

This story was originally published in the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

While riding my bike down Rose Street earlier this week to have lunch with second graders at Traverse Heights Elementary for Marvelous Mondays (quick side note: please google ‘TCAPS Lunch Buddies’ and apply to mentor this spring!), I reflected on the impact of no-cost school meals for all Michigan kids this year.

Why?

Because one in seven Michigan children under age 18 lives in households that experience limited or uncertain availability of safe, nutritious food at some point during the year.

And according to a recent USDA study, this number is rising.

Free school lunches and breakfasts are a vital support.

So are the dedicated individuals here in Traverse City working tirelessly to end hunger for our kids.

People like Cathy O’Connor and her team at Step Up Northern Michigan, Katie Kubesh and her crew at TCAPS’ Student Support Network, Sarah Eichberger at Michigan State University Extension, Taylor Moore and the folks at Food Rescue, Tiffany McQueer and her squad at Project Feed The Kids, and the hundreds running the 70 food pantries with the Northwest Food Coalition.

And then there’s my friend, Chef Paul Olson.

Famous for his culinary masterpieces at Mission Table on Old Mission Peninsula, Chef Paul is also a pedal-pushing force for good in our community.

After eighteen years on the East Coast, where he honed his skills at the Culinary Institute of America and opened several restaurants in New York and Connecticut, Chef Paul returned to Michigan (he grew up in Birmingham) and discovered a love for biking in Traverse City.

Jimmy McKenna, Paul’s former co-worker at Jolly Pumpkin and current GM at North Peak, introduced him to riding here.

“Jimmy took me on a ride on the VASA and absolutely destroyed me,” Paul chuckled. “I was hooked.”

Now, Chef Paul is a familiar sight on our roads and trails — a part of Traverse City’s tightly woven cycling community.

“Riding is so good for the head,” Paul told me. “I don’t think about work that can be chaotic — I’m not stressed. It helps a ton.”

But Chef Paul isn’t just cycling for his own health and wellbeing. He’s riding to make a difference for our kids.

Enter Chefs Cycle — an annual fundraising campaign that Paul has embraced with all the enthusiasm of one of his perfectly seasoned dishes. This three-day, 300-mile ride in California brings together award-winning chefs and culinary enthusiasts to fight childhood hunger outside the kitchen.

And Paul? Well, he’s no stranger to riding for a cause. Next month marks his third Chefs Cycle ride, which raises critical funds for No Kid Hungry, a national campaign with a sterling four-star rating by Charity Navigator.

Through No Kid Hungry, Chef Paul knows that the funds he raises will support communities nationwide, ensuring children have access to the nourishment they need to thrive.

No Kid Hungry’s work focuses on school meals, summer programs, research, community training, and advocacy for stronger policies and laws.

Laws like the one passed last year here in Michigan to provide no-cost school meals for our kids.

And, laws like the current Senate Bill 500 and House Bill 5042, which, if passed, will permanently establish these free breakfasts and lunches in our state budget.

Unsurprisingly, when kids have access to consistent, nutritious food through school meals, they’re healthier and happier and can focus on learning, not their empty stomachs.

I’m reminded of this every Monday when I eat the school lunch in the cafeteria alongside young Roadrunners at Traverse Heights Elementary.

Chef Paul’s goal is to raise $7,000 for No Kid Hungry, with every dollar going toward making hunger a thing of the past for every child.

“It’s not about me — it’s about the kids. Together, we can provide nutritious meals, hope, and a future where no kid goes hungry.”

Will you join Paul on this critical mission by helping him meet his fundraising goal?

Donate today at bit.ly/chef-paul

Keep awesome, Paul — and everyone else here in Northern Michigan’s capital who are committed to helping our kids succeed.