The seventh annual Kent Turkey Challenge raised $28,917 and 11,500 pounds of food this year, marking the event’s biggest success to date.<\/p>\n
The original goal was to raise $25,000 for the Kent Food Bank to feed families during Thanksgiving. Over the past seven years the Turkey Challenge has raised $140,893 and 45,060 pounds of food donated by local businesses, schools and community groups.<\/p>\n
“We are grateful to facilitate the Kent Turkey Challenge and continue to be very pleased with our local community and the outpouring of their generous donations that have again exceeded our goals,” said Torklift Central owner Jack Kay in a media release. “We blew past the goal of $25,000 and 10,000 pounds of food and made a huge difference for local families.”<\/p>\n
One hundred percent of the donations go to the Kent Food Bank. For every $10 donation, the Food Bank reports it can feed a family of four for four days.<\/p>\n
Top five winners of monetary donations were Ski’s Painting with $5,500, Eberle Vivian with $5,050, Shannon and Associates with $3,928, Kent United Methodist Church with $2,615 and Express Employment Pros with $2,262.<\/p>\n
As a thank you to everyone for their participation in this community event, Torklift donated additional cash to the food bank on behalf of each of the top five businesses competing in the cash collection category.<\/p>\n
Top five winners of food donations were Seattle\/Tacoma KOA with 3,021 items, Plemmons Industries with 2,543 items, Express Employment Pros with 1,711 items, Grass Lake Elementary School with 1,500 items and Kent CrossFit with 1,485 items.<\/p>\n
“We bought butter, sweet potatoes, celery, broccoli, green peppers, potatoes and onions this year along with half gallon milk, a dozen eggs and of course turkeys,” Jeniece Choate, executive director of the Kent Food Bank, said. “In previous years we’ve done six eggs and pints of milk. Each year the drive has enabled the Food Bank to provide larger quantities of these items.”<\/p>\n