Smith’s shoppers donate more than 8 tons of food during annual food drive
Las Vegas, NV, February 9, 2021 – Thanks to generous Smith’s shoppers throughout southern Nevada, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas will be able to provide hot meals and ‘to-go’ lunches for the entire year to families who travel to Las Vegas seeking medical treatment for their children.
This past Saturday, February 6, the Ronald McDonald House partnered with 37 local Smith’s stores for the 20th annual “Fill the Pantry” Food Drive. Shoppers donated more than 8.7 TONS of food and household supplies to support RMHC families. In addition, shoppers donated nearly $11,000 in Smith’s gift cards and cash donations.
“We are so grateful for the wonderful support of the Las Vegas community,” says Alyson McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas. “Eight tons is an amazing amount of food to be donated, and it will allow us to provide meals and snacks to our families throughout the rest of the year. Plus, the cash donations and gift cards allow us to buy fresh produce, fruit, milk, and bread year-round to ensure our families have all the comforts of home.
Approximately 150 volunteers helped make this food drive possible, with small groups of volunteers passing out wish lists at each local Smith’s Food & Drug Store locations. In addition, more than two dozen volunteers gathered outside at the House to undertake the task of sorting, dating, and weighing all the donations, and stocking the House pantry shelves and storage cabinets.
The annual food drive helps RMHC meet the basic nutritional and essential needs for families that must travel to Las Vegas for their children’s medical treatment. In addition to providing breakfast, lunch, and homemade dinner every night to families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, the food drive also helps stock the shelves of the Ronald McDonald Family Room, located on the neonatal intensive care unit at Sunrise Children’s Hospital. Families with children in the NICU or PICU can utilize the Family Room as a place of respite during their child’s treatment and to enjoy a ‘to-go’ beverage or snack.
Thank you to longtime supporters Smith’s Food & Drug for donating $1,000 in gift cards, and the Nevada Farm Bureau for donating $500 to the 2021 food drive.
To make a donation to the food drive or to view our online wish list, just head to our website: https://rmhlv.org/news-events/rmhc-fundraisers/food-drive/.
