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Share launches food bank drive on Thursday

Organizers at the Share Food Bank are hoping a donation drive this week will set a record in the province and bring in enough stock to last until the fall.

Organizers at the Share Food Bank are hoping a donation drive this week will set a record in the province and bring in enough stock to last until the fall.

On Thursday (July 21) a 40-foot semitrailer will be in the parking lot at Coquitlam Centre between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. and Share is hoping to fill the container. The event, called the Share Food Bank Fillup, is expected to become an annual donation drive, at a time of year when the organization needs donations.

"We are trying to set a provincial record for the most amount of food collected in 12 hours," said Heather Scott, a spokesperson for Share Family and Community Services. "That would be enough food to carry us until the middle of October."

While there is no current record for most food collected, Stacey said this year the organization will set a benchmark that it will hope to break in 2012.

For the 900 families that use the food bank on a weekly basis, the event can not come soon enough. There is currently enough food to last two weeks, as donations slow to a trickle during the warmer summer months.

With close to 50% of the donations going to children under the age of 18, Scott said many Tri-City families rely on the food bank to provide them with meals.

"Donations tend to really slow down when the school year ends," she said. "People want to contribute but sometimes they are just not thinking about it."

Save-On Foods will be on hand selling hot dogs and Mr Mikes will be barbecuing up some burgers, with all proceeds going to Share. Several radio stations will also be broadcasting from the site as the day progresses.

Suggested items for the food bank are rice, pasta, tomato sauce, peanut butter, baby formula, canned meat, canned fish and canned fruits and vegetables.