More than 50 volunteers—from council, from Emergency Services, from Tumbler Ridge Search and Rescue, from the Junior Rangers and from the local churches—pitched in to collect, then sort the food.
According to Lydia Mannon, who co-manages the Food Bank, there was over $1780 raised in cash donations alone.
“I wouldn’t know where to start with estimating the poundage of food,” laughs Manon. “There was loads!”
Last year, a fire at the Trend Mountain Hotel just as the drive was starting meant many of the members of the Fire Department were pulled from the food drive, which meant the event was short a number of volunteers, as well as fire trucks, which have historically been part of the fundraiser.
This year, however, the sheer number of volunteers and lack of emergencies meant that the food drive was completed in record time. “It was an amazing success,” says Mannon.
Two years ago, a miscommunication between town hall and the food bank meant the fundraiser happened on December 13.
After that, council made a motion to make the food drive the last Wednesday of November moving forward.
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
