Bibimbap Backpackers has returned for their 5th year on promoting healthy eating through bibimbap and will be touring in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Led by Kang Sang-kyun who has been a leader of the Bibimbap Backpackers since it first began, this year’s team consists of twelve people in total to promote the Bibimbap campaign from April 16 through September 11.
The first team of the Bibimbap Backpackers held a total of 100 bibimbap tasting events by traveling to 40 countries, including Asia, Europe, North and South America in 2011. The second team, which consisted of just four young men, held 50 bibimbap tasting events at 10 universities in the U.S. and U.K. for five months under the slogan of ‘Bibimbap Backpackers Go To Prestigious Universities’. The third team visited companies in Silicon Valley and MBA schools in the U.S. They also met food power bloggers and introduced bibimbap, based on the slogan of ‘Bibimbap Backpackers Meet Future Opinion Leaders’. The fourth team targeted the California government and NGOs.
The Bibimbap Backpackers have gained awareness by winning 11 achievement awards such as an award by the Salinas City Council, “Let’s Move” health campaign that’s hosted by first lady Michelle Obama, YMCA and many other honorable awards. To target many multicultural communities, they have mobilized a food truck, which is sponsored by Bibigo, so that they are able to conduct a more active campaign. They have also developed a website (www.beginyourbibimbap.com) to communicate digitally to those who are not able to attend the events by introducing their campaign online and post various bibimbap recipes. They also update their list of events that they will be participating to promote their campaign and are also active through social media.
The 5th year team members of the Bibimbap Backpackers highly suggest that bibimbap can be an alternative to prevent obesity in America and have been providing easy instructions on how to make bibimbap by allowing flexibility of the choices in toppings with maintaining gochujang as the main base. The events they have successfully participated so far were at Santa Monica Beach, YMCA, Western Avenue Elementary School, University High School, Irvine Chamber and the annual Irvine Korean Cultural Festival. Some of their other events they have planned for this campaign will be in collaboration with the San Benito County Government and Google. Find out where they will be headed next by visiting their website (www.beginyourbibimbap.com) or their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BibimbabBackpackers).
