Mower County won the 10th annual City-County Food Drive competition this past year, but as Craig Oscarson said, "The real winners are the people receiving this food."

The food was distributed with Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets to the needy in Mower County by the Salvation Army Austin Corps.

The city of Austin and Mower County combined total was 3,947 pounds of food, according to Nancy Clingman, who coordinated the contest for the county.

"This is the second time we went over the 2,000 pound mark and this also is the highest we have done in the 10-year history of the food drive," Clingman said.

Mower County collected a total of 2,768 pounds of food this year. This averaged out to 12.03 pounds of food per county employee.

The city collected a total of 1,179 pounds of food or an average of 7.86 pounds per city employee.

"Our 10-year grand total between both agencies is 14,361 pounds of food," Clingman said. "We thank everyone for his or her generosity.

"The trophy will come back to the county for the first time since 1997."

Austin Mayor Bonnie Rietz and Tricia Wiechmann, human resource director, were on hand Friday afternoon at the Mower County Recycling Center to witness the weigh-off.

Oscarson, county coordinator, Diana Moon and Monica Rollie, employees of the Mower County Department of Human Services, and Daryl Gullickson, a county

building maintenance worker, represented the county.

Clingman and her supervisor, Jeff Weaver, county recycling coordinator, weighed the skis of food delivered from city and county collection points, during the drive.

Clingman paid special tribute to the employee committees of both the city and the county for planning and promoting the food drive and "last but not least to the employees without whom this venture could be successful."

Mayor Rietz and Wiechmann were gracious in defeat, praising the county employees' efforts.

The county's Gullickson said one of the things that spurred the county workers to victory in the food drive was simple.

"We were tired of losing," he said.

According to Jim Middleton of the Salvation Army, volunteers will begin filling Thanksgiving food baskets for the needy today and the distribution takes place Monday.

More than 200 Thanksgiving baskets are expected this season, plus another 300 to 340 food baskets for Christmas, according to Middleton.

Also this week, the Salvation Army's annual holiday efforts to collect donations for the needy at Christmastime begin with bell-ringing at local stores and the Angel Tree at Oak Park mall.

Pat Wright confirmed the Staples SuperStore in Austin will announce an incentive to shoppers who participate in the Coats For Kids project at the store.

For information on how to assist the Salvation Army, call Lori Espe at 437-4566.

Lee Bonorden can be reached at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com