Octoberfest Food Drive aims to keep pantries full this winter

Local car dealers and grocers are uniting to raise food and money to support local food banks.

The 16th annual Octoberfest Food-Drive Food-Bag is a joint venture of area auto and RV dealerships and Yoke’s Fresh Market stores.

Supporters can drop off nonpershable items throughout the month at McCurley Integrity Dealerships or Russ Dean RV in the Tri-Cities, and at McCurley Integrity Toyota in Walla Walla.

The dealers will supplement food donations with cash. They have set a $45,000 goal, to be funded through October sales.

Supporters can also help out by purchasing a bag of food at any of the Tri-City Yoke’s Fresh Market stores. The stores have a drop-off bin and will arrange for them to be distributed to area food banks.

The food drive will benefit Tri-City Area Food Banks, the Salvation Army, Tri-City Union Gospel Mission, St. Vincent De Paul, Golden Age Food Source and the Blue Mountain Action Council.

The 2016 food bank drive brought the 15-year total of donated food to 632,500 pounds.

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Octoberfest Food Drive aims to keep pantries full this winter."