Hy-Vee, local groups kick off Christmas dinner fundraiser
Published 10:06 am Friday, October 25, 2013
Bruiser strikes a pose in between greeting people at Hy-Vee’s food and wine tasting event Thursday. Hy-Vee and area organizations kicked off the Salvation Army of Austin’s Feed a Family program and hope to raise $15,000 this year. — Trey Mewes/trey.mewes@austindailyherald.com
Hy-Vee of Austin is kicking off the giving season.
The Austin supermarket began its fourth annual Feed a Family fundraiser Thursday with a three-hour food and wine tasting event. The store, which raised $10,800 and fed 500 families on Christmas last year, hopes to raise $15,000 this year in response to a rising need in the community.
“It’s the most important thing we do throughout the year,” said Hy-Vee store manager Todd Hepler. “The big thing is that we know on Christmas Day, that everybody in our community will have a Christmas Dinner.”
The Feed a Family program, through the Austin Salvation Army, provided a $40 meal last year, which includes a 12-15 pound Hy-Vee turkey, a pumpkin pie, rolls, canned vegetables, a pound of butter, Mrs. Jerry’s mashed potatoes and Mrs. Jerry’s cranberry relish. Several local organizations came together in 2012 for the fundraiser, including Mrs. Jerry’s, the Mower County Dairy Association, Westminster Presbyterian Church and others. The Austin Bruins were on-hand to help serve residents Thursday.
“This is an important program for the community, because as a whole, we can make sure the community is taken care of,” Hepler said.
