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Attendance at annual Feed the Hungry Feast jumps 35 percent.
by Carole Miller –
When The Salvation Army’s annual Feed the Hungry Feast at the Reno (Nev.) Events Center was over, there were 20 unused plates left—out of 2,000! That’s 500 more meals than last year and four times the number served at the first dinner in 1999.
A tough economy again brought a record number of guests to the event. Nevada’s unemployment continues to hover around 13 percent and the number of home foreclosures is among the highest in the nation.
This was the 12th year that The Salvation Army and the Safari Club International (SCI) Foundation’s Sportsmen Against HungerTM program invited the community to enjoy a delicious meal—800 pounds of meatloaf, gravy, mashed potatoes, veggies, salad, bread, dessert and drinks.
“We were very pleased to offer the community a hot meal—especially during these tough economic times. We’re very grateful for the support provided by our event partners,” said Major Doug Williams, Reno corps officer.
SCI Foundation Humanitarian Services Chairman Gene Rurka added, “Our hunting family is proud to step up to the plate to provide nutritious meals with donations of harvested game meat.” SCI’s Northern Nevada Chapter and Multiple Use Managers contributed the game, which was supplemented with ground beef that SCI purchased at cost from local vendors.
Other sponsors were the Reno Sparks Visitors & Convention Bureau, C & M Food Distributing, Eldorado Hotel, Harrah’s Reno, Model Dairy, Sierra SportService, SYSCO Food Services and Truckee Sourdough Company. Nearly 180 volunteers assisted with the event.
