UPDATE: The Food Bank of Reno County tells KWBW's Rob Dreher that an additional 350 pounds of food were collected over the weekend when they collected donations from the two barrels at Dillons'. They remind you that the barrels are there year-round for donations.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The 15th annual Midwest Superstore Stuff the Trucks food drive rolled past expectations last Friday, delivering one of the largest hauls in the event’s history.
The day began with a $2,500 kickoff donation from Dillons, which also launched special in-store promotions to stretch shoppers’ dollars—including “buy two, get three free” on select Kellogg’s cereals and a series of buy-one-get-one-free offers. Additional sponsors included Pools Plus, Friendly Bingo, Jacam Catalyst, and Hog Wild Pit BBQ, each contributing $500 to the effort.
By the end of the event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dillons Marketplace, four fully loaded pickup trucks were packed with donations—an all-time record for the Reno County Food Bank. In total, the event brought in 2,884 pounds of food and $770 in cash contributions from shoppers.
“We’ve never seen anything quite like it,” said Angela Penner, executive director of the Reno County Food Bank. “Four large trucks completely full—that’s something nobody here can remember ever happening before.”
Rob Dreher, program director for KWBW Radio and event coordinator for Eagle Media, said the generosity was overwhelming. “It really brings back your faith in humanity,” Dreher said. “We saw young kids picking out items with their parents to donate, and even a few people who filled entire shopping carts just for the food bank.”
Dreher credited Dillons Marketplace manager Sheila Regehr and her team for their support in hosting the event for the first time at that location. He also noted that some donors brought checks to contribute toward the KWBW Salvation Army Thanksgiving Concern campaign.
“I want to thank Daren Dunn of KHMY and Randy McKay of KHUT for joining us in donating airtime and doing live broadcasts throughout the day,” Dreher added. “Friday was a great day for Hutchinson—and for the Reno County Food Bank.”