ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- The Food Bank of the Southern Tier buzzed with excitement for its sixth annual Leader of the Pack event. Nine local companies came together, Thursday, to pack thousands of backpacks filled with nutritious food for students across six counties.
"Today is our sixth annual Leader of the Pack event," said Mark Bordeau, President & CEO of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. "We have nine corporations coming today to pack backpacks that we're going to use all throughout our school districts, throughout our six-county area to help our kids in need. "
This year's goal? 5,280 backpacks packed in just one hour. Last year, the program distributed over 72,000 backpacks, but with food insecurity rising, the need is even greater now.
Each bag is carefully assembled with balanced meals: protein, fruits, vegetables, and grains. The goal is to provide kids in need with food that can sustain them over the weekend and holidays when school meals aren't available.
"These are meals that go out to the kids in the community over the weekends and the holidays for children in need, and we have nutritious food, we have a protein, we have fruit, we have a vegetable and we have a grain food. We have a protein, we have fruit, we have a vegetable, we have a grain and every weekend for folks in need, we have a social worker at the school district that hands them out to the kids in a very discreet way," says Bordeau.
One in five children in the community face food insecurity, a 14% increase from last year. The Leader of the Pack event is more than a challenge for volunteers, it's a lifeline for children in the Southern Tier.
"This is something we love to do, but competition one of the things we love is making a difference in our communities, and there can't be a better activity than the leader of," says Patrick Bourcy, Regional Manager of Wegmans Food Markets. "We love is making a difference in our communities, and there can't be a better activity than the leader of the pack and making a difference in our communities."
With every bag packed, these companies are helping turn the tide on childhood hunger and making sure students have the nutrition they need to learn, grow and thrive.
Each backpack packed represents more than just a meal, it's a reminder that community united can make a difference. Events like Leader of the Pack show that every effort counts in ensuring no child goes hungry.