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Farm Credit Canada exceeds fundraiser goal

The generous support of time, food, funding and equipment from Farm Credit Canada’s employees, provincial and local food banks, community partners, residents and agriculture producers made Alberta’s first Drive Away Hunger tour a major success.
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Farm Credit Canada’s Lea Fraser

By Kim Hutchison

Staff reporter:

The generous support of time, food, funding and equipment from Farm Credit Canada’s employees, provincial and local food banks, community partners, residents and agriculture producers made Alberta’s first Drive Away Hunger tour a major success.

The central leg of the tour began when a tractor and trailer driven by FCC employee Jon Colton left Red Deer at 10 a.m. on Oct. 15. It made its way to Ponoka where it was stationed at the Vold Jones Vold Auction from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. A trip to Las Vegas was auctioned off going to winner Blaire Vold for $1,000. This money along with donations from sponsors and the community combined with food collected during the two-hour window went directly to the Ponoka Food Bank. Every dollar donated was equated to two pounds of food, giving Ponoka an overall total of 2,788 pounds of food. 

On Oct. 16 the tractor and trailer rolled into Lacombe, Clive and Alix and on Oct. 17 it went to Stettler and Bashaw. During the three-day fundraiser a second tractor and trailer went to Lloydminster, Kitscoty, Vermillion, Vegreville, Mundare, Viking and Killam. Both met in Camrose at the Edgeworth Centre on Oct. 17 at 8:30 p.m. for the closing event where the total pounds of food raised in Alberta was revealed. Farm Credit Canada’s goal was to collect 100,000 pounds and that goal was exceeded with a total of 193,235 pounds of food raised overall.