Vail food drive collects 190,000 pounds

VAIL — A record 190,000 pounds of food was collected during the Vail Police Department’s eighth annual Make a Difference Day food drive, which ended Oct. 25.

According to Vail Code Enforcement Officer and food drive organizer Moses Gonzales, the effort resulted in a 30,000-pound increase over the 160,000 pounds collected during last year’s food drive. Food collected this year will be distributed to the Food Rescue Express, Bright Future Foundation, Salvation Army and Community Wednesday Night Dinners.

Gonzales says he’s grateful to everyone who donated either food or cash.

“On behalf of the Vail Police Department, Salvation Army, Bright Future Foundation and the Community Wednesday Night Dinners, we would like to thank all the generous citizens and entities in Eagle County who helped make the food drive a success,” said Gonzales. “A special thanks to the students, parents and teachers of our area schools who outdid themselves this year. Almost 14,000 pounds of food collected came from the schools, with Red Sandstone Elementary topping 1,000 pounds.”

The food drive was coordinated by the Police Department as a project for national “Make a Difference Day,” a Points of Light Foundation program which celebrates neighbors helping neighbors.

“The food collected will go a long way toward helping the less fortunate in our community during the year,” Gonzales said.

For more information, call Gonzales at 479-2200.