WHO/ WHAT:
The N.C. State Fair will host its annual food donation drive for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina on Thursday. Instead of only accepting cans, as in past years, the Food Bank is also encouraging fairgoers to donate other nonperishable food items needed for Western North Carolina hurricane recovery. Each fairgoer who donates six cans of food or six other nonperishable food items will gain free admission at any gate.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, Smithfield Foods President of Hog Production Kraig Westerbeek and interim CEO of the Food Bank Charlie Hale will hold a brief program in honor of Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day.
WHEN/WHERE:
Thursday, Oct. 24, 10:30 a.m.
Live and Local Music Stage presented by Curtis Media Group (near the Waterfall) at the N.C. State Fairgrounds
(If requested, morning interviews are also available with a Smithfield Foods spokesman beginning at 6 a.m., and donations are accepted at any gate from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Hunger Relief Day began at the N.C. State Fair in 1993 and since then, fairgoers have donated more than 6.5 million pounds of food. It has become one of the largest one-day canned-food drives in the state.
However, this year is different with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina sending all donations to Western North Carolina. The Food Bank will coordinate with MANNA, Metrolina and Northwest N.C. food banks depending on their need and capacity.
The Food Bank coordinates over 600 volunteers each year to collect food at N.C. State Fair gates alongside employees from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The Food Bank is encouraging people to donate the following, which are most in need in the aftermath of a major storm:
- 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)
In 2023, Smithfield’s donation of 500,000 servings of protein contributed to more than 253,000 pounds of food collected for the event. That equaled 315,547 meals for those facing hunger in North Carolina.
Since 2008, Smithfield has donated hundreds of millions of servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 states across the country through Helping Hungry Homes®, its signature hunger relief initiative, and has pledged to donate an additional 100 million protein servings in the U.S. by 2025.
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