There’s a big fundraising drive going on in the small town of Adams. The community hopes to raise $10,000 for the Kids Against Hunger program, a non-profit organization that donates food to those in need.

With $10,000, Adams will provide 40,000 meals to the earthquake victims of Haiti.

So far, residents have raised about half the funds, through events such as a recent community turkey dinner.

If Adams raises the $10,000, the food – made up of a dried mix of rice, vegetables and broth – will be delivered from Mankato, with local community members then packaging it.

Fundraising efforts are usually a staple of any town, but Austin and its surrounding communities have a history of setting lofty goals and achieving them.

One example is the Lyle Cancer Auction, which has raised more than $100,000 annually since 2002 for cancer research.

We appreciate the efforts of Southland Kids Against Hunger chair Jan Weness and the rest of Adams, a town that’s doing a nice job stepping up for those in need.