In collaboration with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, the N.C. State Fair will make changes to this year’s food donation drive to help with hurricane recovery. Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day will be Thursday, Oct. 24, and food collected that day will be sent to Western North Carolina.
As part of the change this year, the Food Bank is asking people to donate six nonperishable food items – not just cans of food, which has been the standard donation since the food drive at the fair began in 1993.
“Hunger was a serious crisis in Western North Carolina long before Hurricane Helene, and our friends in the region have been absolutely devastated by the damage from this storm,” said Charlie Hale, Interim CEO for the Food Bank. “Donations during Smithfield Foods' Hunger Relief Day are incredibly important as Food Banks across the state work together to meet these challenges head-on.”
As part of the shared disaster response efforts, the Food Bank is asking people to donate six nonperishable food items from specific categories – a change from the general "six cans" donation that has been the standard in recent years. In the aftermath of a major storm, impacted communities are most in need of:
- Peanut butter and jams (larger plastic jars)
- Chicken, tuna, or salmon (in pouches or pop-top cans)
- Ravioli and other ready-to-heat meals (in pop-top cans)
- Crackers (boxes or sealed containers)
- Dried or canned fruit (sealed containers or pop-top cans)
- Granola or protein bars (boxes with individually-wrapped contents)
For the fourth year, Smithfield Foods is the presenting sponsor of Hunger Relief Day. In addition to the nonperishable food items donated by fairgoers, Smithfield Foods will make a much-needed protein donation to aid disaster relief efforts in the region. Last year’s donation of 500,000 servings of protein helped the Food Bank collect more than 253,000 pounds of food, equivalent to 315,547 meals, for those facing hunger in North Carolina. Earlier this month, Smithfield donated more than 30,000 pounds of protein to Mercy Chefs and deployed additional resources to support Western North Carolina communities and residents recovering from Hurricane Helene.
“Smithfield Foods is committed to helping neighbors in need, especially in times of natural disasters,” said Steve Evans, vice president of community development for Smithfield Foods. “We’re honored to team up with the N.C. State Fair and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina to provide hope and support for Western North Carolina as the region continues to recover and rebuild.”
Over the 30-year history of Hunger Relief Day donations from fairgoers and sponsors such as Smithfield Foods have added up to more than 6.5 million pounds of food for the Food Bank.
“I want us to have a record year to make a big impact and help those in need in Western North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Please consider bringing six of the food items the Food Bank has told us are most needed. When fairgoers come to any gate, they’ll have an easy opportunity to give back, and they’ll know the Food Bank will help their donations do the most good.”
The 2024 N.C. State Fair runs Oct. 17-27 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The fair offers an experience unique to North Carolina for all who attend, and is an unparalleled value with free entertainment, thrilling rides and games, thousands of animals, endless family activities, competitions, vendors and creative deep-fried delights. For more information, visit www.ncstatefair.org or connect on Facebook, X and Instagram at @ncstatefair.
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