Fairgoers help reach major milestone for FeedMore WNY

Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County Fair announced on Friday that fairgoers donated 160,905 pounds of food during the annual Opening Day Food Drive, benefiting FeedMore WNY.

With this year's collection, the Erie County Fair and FeedMore WNY have now collected a cumulative 1,036,861 pounds of food since the Opening Day Food Drive partnership began in 2013.

"We are incredibly proud to celebrate this one-million-pound milestone with FeedMore WNY," said Jessica Underberg, CEO of the Erie County Agricultural Society. "For more than a decade, fairgoers have embraced the Opening Day Food Drive as a way to help neighbors in need. Collecting more than one million pounds of food is a testament to the compassion and generosity that define our community."

This year’s collection represents the second-highest total in the history of the Opening Day Food Drive, less than 4,000 pounds less than last year's donation total of 164,384 pounds.

“FeedMore WNY is excited and extremely moved by the incredible results of this year’s Erie County Fair Opening Day Food Drive. Once again, Erie County Fairgoers stepped up to support their food-insecure community members by generously filling 265 large totes full of food donations, which is six more totes than the previous year. What makes this amazing food drive even more special is that we were able to exceed a phenomenal milestone of more than 1 million pounds of food donated since this food drive began,” said Tara Ellis, president and CEO of FeedMore WNY. “FeedMore WNY is deeply grateful for the continued partnership of the Erie County Fair and the Erie County Agricultural Society. We want to thank everyone who donated and volunteered to make this critical drive for FeedMore WNY and our nearly 400 hunger-relief partner agencies so successful.”

Fairgoers receive free admission to the Fair in exchange for donating four or more canned goods at the gate during the annual Opening Day Food Drive.