By Stephen Dafoe
Morinville – Organizers are hoping a much heavier Morinville Community Bus will cross the weigh scales Friday night after two days of collecting food throughout the community. Organizers of this year’s annual Fill-A-Bus are hoping to outdo the 5,608 pounds of food and $1,600 in cash donations collected last year for the Morinville Food Bank Society.
The Fill-A-Bus hit the road Thursday morning, collecting food items from Morinville schools and businesses. From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. the bus made the rounds to Morinville Public Elementary School, George P. Vanier, Georges H. Primeau, Morinville Community High School and Morinville Christian Fellowship School, each school trotting out caring students loaded with food donations for the cause.
In between school visits the bus hit a number of local businesses, including Servus Credit Union, Fair Accounting, The Rendez-Vous Center and Frontier Honda.This year was the first year the community bus did business pick ups.
Friday the bus, town staff, Food Bank Society volunteers and Santa Claus himself will set up at the No Frills from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Sobeys from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., giving residents an opportunity to pick up a little something along with their own grocery needs.
The food and funds will go a long way to helping the Morinville Food bank Society in meeting their needs this Christmas season. With additional shelf space in their new location next to the arena, the Morinville Food Bank Society is able to carry more inventory to help more people. Recently the charitable group acquired freezers and are now able to accept frozen goods.
But with the increased space and ability to take a greater variety of goods comes an increase in costs. The Food Bank Society now pays rent and utilities in their new location. Monetary donations collected over the weekend will help the food bank meet those expenses.
Below are some photos of giving students and businesses
