Giving Kitchen founder Ryan Turner wrote this speech to address the food and beverage partners volunteering their talents to support Giving Kitchen at Team Hidi. These remarks were given during Family Meal just before the gates opened at Truist Park on March 15, 2026.
On the evening of January 27, 2013 at the King Plow Arts Center
Ryan “HIDI” Hidinger tood on a stage, grabbed the microphone and scanned the entire room. 5 weeks earlier – You could hear a pin drop. He said, “I’m just a cook (shaking head). Look around this room, I’ve already won. My cancer diagnosis is a gift.”
In a matter of moments, 1,000 teary eyes of sadness turned into tears of admiration that transformed into a tidal wave of love that has grown quickly and is now flowing over the entire foodservice industry.
How would you respond if you were told you had 6 months to live?
Hidi’s gift to us was his response.
He chose gratitude.
He chose Dignity.
He chose to accept and play the hand he was dealt. He chose to be vulnerable and embrace the love and support available to him. He chose agency and planted his seed of tragedy, which has now blossomed to help over 37k food service workers, awarded $17M in financial assistance and reached all 50 states + Puerto Rico.
I am uniquely qualified to tell you, as a fact, that without Hidi sharing his gift with us, there is no GK and we are not here today.
Acceptance, Vulnerability and Agency- As Life happens to us, those three things can serve each and every one of us well, every day.
Thank you for being here today, choosing to invest your time, talents and treasure to support GK. Whatever role you are playing today, it is important. Thank you!
We are all here today to celebrate GK? Yes but… we are also here to celebrate something bigger and more important.
16 million employees. Over $1 trillion in annual revenue. That’s bigger than agriculture, airline and lodging industry combined. What we do for a living matters. We are an essential part of our society’s fabric. We help people escape, explore, reconnect, do deals, find love, celebrate, mourn or find joy. We take care of people, by feeding them and showering them with hospitality and our own humanity.
Is there a more noble way to make a living?
Yeah, it’s a hard way to make a living, but its the hard that makes it great.
Every day we choose to work with others from all walks of of life. Different histories, dreams, ages, genders, ethnicities, politics, religion or sexual orientation. Every day we conduct a live improv performance under pressure for a very demanding audience that have plenty of options to choose from. Every role is integral in a restaurant. It requires trust, communication, timing and teamwork. You can’t hide in a restaurant. The daily adversity quickly reveals who people are at their core, which allows us to quickly form close relationships.
That is what fuels the bonds and camaraderie we all enjoy.
In a deeply divided world, I’m not sure there is a better model of unity, interdependence and purpose than our industry.
What other industry do you see all the competitors come together to take care of their own. It all started here 13 years ago. I AM SO DAMN PROUD of our ATL restaurant community.
That is worthy of celebration.
You are MORE important than GK; you are more important than the guests you serve.
How do I know?: what happens if none of you show up for work tomorrow? None of it works w/o YOU. YOU MATTER. What YOU do to make a living matters.
Not only is it “a real job” It may be one of the few remaining real jobs after AI has runs its course.
I know if Hidi was here with us now, he’d encourage you to keep taking care of each other and our guests, but he’d IMPLORE YOU to not do so at the expense of your mental, physical, or spiritual health.
The PARADOX of Hospitality is that we take better care of others than we do ourselves. It is our achilles heel.
It is the elephant in the room. That needs to stop.
It is a choice. Its my choice, it’s your choice. It is a matter of looking in the mirror and believing that you are enough just as you are, and you are worth it.
If there was one thing that you can do daily to help GK year-round, that would cost you nothing, would you be Interested?
My ask of you is to choose you. My ask is to give yourself the grace and permission to care for yourself first. The reason why the mission of GK has resonated so quickly and deeply is it is first time we’ve collectively and formally put the oxygen mask on ourselves first. But if we want GK to fulfill it’s mission, it is CRITICAL we each do our part and our own oxygen mask on first. You are worth it.
What makes Team Hidi so unique from any other food event on the planet.
At least for one night, the givers (YOU) are also the receivers.
Everyone (both sides of the table) genuinely wants to be here and the energy is palpable and impossible to duplicate.
Over 1,200 people are coming tonight to celebrate YOU. I hope you feel seen, appreciated, valued and proud.
Embrace the love they have for you. It is real. It is electric. And you deserve every bit of it.
I wish you peace, good health and a helluva time riding the Team Hidi energy wave tonight.
There is truly nothing like it.
Thank you!
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