Kamloops Food Bank sets highest goal yet for 21st Rotary Food Drive

Sep 21, 2018 | 4:49 PM

KAMLOOPS — Saturday marks the 21st Rotary Food Drive in Kamloops. 

The Kamloops Food Bank was bustling with activity Friday as volunteers made space for tens of thousands of pounds of donated food and hygiene items expected during the event. 

Even though there are showers in the forecast, the Food Bank is hoping to have its biggest haul yet. 

“You can just go in your pantry, fill it with any item that you have at home, put it on your doorstep by 9 a.m., and a Rotarian picks it up,” said Kamloops Food Bank Executive Director Bernadette Siracky. 

The food drive began a decade ago and has continued to grow each year. 

The last food drive in April brought in a record breaking 65,000 lbs for the food bank, and the goal is even bigger this time around. 

“80,000 lbs,” Siracky said. “We thought ‘why not? Shoot for the stars.’ We really think this is possible with the number of tags that have gone to every home. And this is the last time that we are actually delivering yellow bags to Kamloops this week. So we’re doing both this time around, and if you want to use your yellow bag for the last time please put that out, we’ll be happy to accept it here at the food bank.”

If the food bank reaches its goal on Saturday the Rotary Food Drive will have reached a mile stone one million pounds. 

But all that food requires a great deal of community help. 

“We love to encourage new people to come and help us sort at the food bank, 171 Wilson St,” Siracky said. “If you’ve never been here before please stop by with your family, even for half an hour, come and see what happens here, because it truly is magical.”

But there is one long-time volunteer whose absence will be felt this food drive. 

Saturday marks the one year anniversary of the passing of Rotarian and TRU VP Christopher Seguin. 

“This food bank was very connected in with Christopher in more ways than just the food drives,” Siracky said. “So, firstly he came to help really at every food drive, and the last one he was at was a year ago on September 21st.”

Seguin was also instrumental in starting up the Starfish backpack program and NorKam family dinners. 

Earlier this week, Seguin’s mother and sister brought a carload of donations to the food bank in his memory. 

“What they said to me is they really want to honour his memory by asking people to support this food drive and to give to the food bank.”