Close to triple the amount of food compared to the year before was collected for the local Salvation Army on Friday, March 22, during the Penticton Vees’ 13th annual Feed the Valley Night.
Around 4,000 pounds of food was banked when the team hosted the Merritt Centennials. That’s up from the roughly 1,400 pounds collected in 2023.
“It warms my heart to see the support,” said Al Madsen, community ministries director at the Penticton Salvation Army. “It was very much needed.”
Madsen praised the longtime partnerships that make the event a reality every year, like the one between the Vees, Salvation Army and Valley First.
“Without these partnerships, we would find it hard to meet the needs of people in our community,” he added. “Thank you, Penticton, for supporting the event.”
Madsen said the 4,000 pounds of food has made its way to the local food bank and is ready to be sorted and placed into hampers.
Cash donations from the Feed the Valley Night are still being counted, he added.
Leaders from the local Salvation Army have been vocal in recent months over the challenges its food bank has faced, with the total number of donations continuing to decrease.
Paul Trickett, Penticton Salvation Army pastor, told the Western News that 2023 was the worst year he’s seen in more than two decades of community service. He cited inflation and said people who once donated are now the ones struggling to put food on their table.
“You could see the outpouring of people caring…they’re aware that there is a need,” Madsen said about those who donated at the Vees’ game.
In a social media post, representatives from the BCHL club said the community showed “overwhelming generosity” during the 11th edition of the event.
Around 2,800 people attended the Vees’ game on March 22, with the home team claiming a 5-2 victory.
READ MORE: Penticton Salvation Army pastor says 2023 is the worst he’s ever seen