(PRESS RELEASE) – Summertime means many things to the South Plains—sunshine, no school, and family vacations. It can also mean bare shelves at the South Plains Food Bank, a vital resource for the 1 in 6 people on the South Plains who face hunger. In order to combat area hunger during this season in which food donations are lowest, the South Plains Food Bank and other area organizations will kick off their annual Summer of Sharing with the ‘Conquer Hunger’ Fun Run on Memorial Day, May 25, at Mackenzie Park in Lubbock.
The ‘Conquer Hunger’ Fun Run—unique because non-perishable food is the only cost for registration—is the first of many Summer of Sharing events designed to help collect the hundreds of thousands of pounds of food necessary to support families on the South Plains facing the threat of hunger.
“The summer months are when our inventory of food is at its lowest,” said David Weaver, chief executive officer of the South Plains Food Bank. “Without the Summer of Sharing we run the possibility of literally running out of food to feed people in our community who are hungry.”
The ‘Conquer Hunger’ Fun Run, managed each year by the local congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, drew more than 800 participants and collected more than 4,000 pounds of food last year. And combined with other Summer of Sharing events, South Plains residents and similar religious and community organizations donated 119,000 pounds of food in 2014. The goal this year is to collect 120,000 pounds, Weaver said.
“The Fun Run is an event that educates children and helps families see how we can all work together to accomplish the worthy goal of feeding West Texas families,” said race director Cheri Gerwig. “This event is families helping families.”
The race will take place Monday, May 25, at Mackenzie Park in Lubbock. Check-in begins at 8 a.m., the 1-mile race begins at 9 a.m., and the 5k begins at 9:20 a.m. Those interested in participating as either a runner or volunteer may register online at sosfunrun.org. Runners are encouraged to dress as their favorite superhero and bring bags of non-perishable foods to donate. Information about other Summer of Sharing events can be found on the South Plains Food Bank website at spfb.org.
(Press release from South Plains Food Bank)
