Food Lion Feeds Hunger Relief Day brings in almost 25,000 pounds

July 25, 2017

Food Lion, the Delaware State Fair and the Food Bank of Delaware announced today that the sixth annual “Food Lion Feeds Hunger Relief Day” – Monday, July 24 – at the Delaware State Fair was a great success.

Fair-goers donated 24,829 pounds of food that will be distributed to hungry Delawareans in Kent and Sussex County with the help of the Food Bank of Delaware’s network of hunger-relief partners.

More than 43,000 residents of Kent and Sussex counties are considered food insecure, meaning their access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.

Hunger Relief Day is a partnership involving Food Lion, the Delaware State Fair and the Food Bank of Delaware. Fair attendees who brought five Food Lion brand canned or boxed goods received one free gate admittance to the Delaware State Fair.

This year, we were honored to welcome Sonny Perdue, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) secretary to Delaware, to the Delaware State Fair, and also to Hunger Relief Day. He was joined by United States Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons, United States Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse.

The Food Bank of Delaware’s Culinary School students created special breakfast croissants made with local produce and scrapple for Secretary Perdue, also a former Georgia governor.

He took the opportunity to speak with Food Bank and Food Lion staff as they collected canned goods from fair-goers.

Yesterday’s weather was cooler compared to earlier days and attendance was strong. Fairgoers enjoyed award-winning animal and produce displays, a cooking demonstration from The Culinary School at 5:00 p.m., games, rides and carnival favorites like snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn and more! Comedian Gabriel Iglesias closed the night.

“At Food Lion, we believe no one should have to choose between dinner and paying rent or gasoline and buying groceries,” said Bob Mills, Food Lion’s execution and implementation specialist for the Delaware market. “That’s why we’re so passionate about helping to end hunger in our local communities. We know the community’s help from past events has helped us to feed people in Delaware who otherwise would have to make those tough choices.”

The Delaware State Fair closes on July 29. To see the complete fair schedule, please click here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *