After several suggestions last year, we have decided to help and give back to the local community. So join me and lets show our MINI spirit as we host our first Food Drive. We will have donation boxes set up at Registration to accept food donations that will go to the local Graham County Emergency Food Pantry. Since two thirds of Graham county is National Forest, Graham County has a very small tax base and many locals struggle to meet every day needs.

As usual, the MINI community quickly came up with several ways to help this great cause:

I. Cooper Flags had donated some awesome 4" MOTD window clings so that the first 400 people that bring 4 or more items to registration will get a FREE cling.


II. PittStop MINIs will offer 5 free Bingo sheets to anyone bringing just 1 or more items for the Food Drive. (just bring the items to the Dragon Bingo)

III. MINI_Bee will once again be selling MOTD patches, beads and several MOTD shirts for: Dragon Parade, Dragon Drive-In, Topless on the Dragon and the Dragon Ice Cream Run, with all proceeds going to the Food Drive.

IV. Michigan MINIs will be selling snacks for the "Drive-In" movie with all proceeds going to the Food Drive.

V. MKO club will be taking donations during their annual Cigar Salon.

So let's show Graham County our MINI Motoring Giving Spirit!!


Below is a list of items that are most in need:

Cereals
Pasta
Assorted canned goods
Macaroni & cheese
Diapers (sizes 2 - 5)
Crackers (assorted)
Peanut Butter
Shampoo
Lotion
Kleenex
Rice

Other suggestions:
Vitamins

 

I love the idea of this Snooter but I think that we should take it one step further. We should challenge every other car club that has an event at Fontana to do the same thing! Maybe some could donate to the closest county in Tennessee and other counties near Graham county so the love gets spread around a bit.

 

I would like to keep in to Graham County only. They have supported our event each year with very large financial donations via the Graham County Chamber of Commerce. For example they are paying for the Drive-In movie so we may enjoy it for FREE, last year they helped offset the cost of the large tent.

As far as other groups coming up with ways to help........I likey that idea!!!!

 

i will be bringing stuff!

 

If I might make a suggestion for another item to be included for the list. Having worked on a local food drive in the aftermath of Katrina, we included vitamins both adult and kiddy with every box that was sent out. They're not cheap compared with the listed foods, but if someone is depending on a food pantry, then odds are they're not getting proper nutrition.
Just a thought...

 

that's sound like a great idea. That was the list that Graham County supplied to me, but I'm sure they will appreciate any non-perishable items and even toiletries

 

Somehow I missed that part. Not that you need it but, I concur!

 

Yup, there is often alot of help behind the "scenes" that folks are not always aware of and Graham County has been a somewhat silent contributor for several years now!! I'm glad you brought it up and gave me a excuse to point that out to everyone else that may not have been aware of that either.

 

I am soooo thrilled we decided to do this!! I have been involved in local food drives here and I have some tips and information for everyone:

1. Since we have about 12 weeks before MOTD - start setting aside money and/or buying some items on special each week that are on sale. (Finding things on sale helps to stretch your dollars further so you can do even more!)

2. Both food and money are excellent donations to food banks, however, food banks can generally do more with monetary donations as they can purchase more with the dollars than we can as private citizens. For every $1, they can purchase $7 - $10 worth of food from Second Harvest (national supplier to food banks). Since we are doing this long distance, if you are having trouble figuring out where you can pack food donations, no worries, money is easy to transport and takes up very little space - you can even write a check (tax deductible by the way).

3. Important: If you bring food donations, please make sure everything you decide to bring with you is still good - check those expiration dates and make sure containers aren't damaged! This is a common issue with donated food - it's usually completely innocent, people get things out of their own pantries and cabinets and don't realize the food is expired.

Thank you to everyone for their generosity - Graham County has done sooooo much for us over the year, I can't wait to see what we can give back to Graham County with our food drive!!!

 

May I make a suggestion? Many of us stuff our Minis to the gills with luggage, laptops, modding equipment, tools and the other stuff we all need to get by in life. I suggest that rather than bringing food with us to the Dragon, how about we hit the local stores on the way in? That will help boost their economy as well as helping the food bank. We would be doing double the good deed for the same (roughly) money and adding to their tax coffers to boot!! Whaddayathink?

 

Sounds good to me!

 

Well if you are not going to bring anything with you, instead of buying the food there, you could follow Pamalalala's advice, donate money and allow the food bank to get the biggest bang for *your* dollar.