FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, OCT. 5, 2009

CONTACT:

Paul Jones, special events coordinator N.C. State Fair Press Office (919) 733-4216

 

 

Cary High, Athens Drive face off in the first Friday Night Food Drive

RALEIGH — High school homecomings can escalate into intense, all-out gridiron battles, but the football programs at Cary High School and Athens Drive High School are using their rivalry on the field to benefit the community off the field.

The two schools have partnered with the N.C. State Fair and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina for the first Friday Night Food Drive on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7:30 p.m. The event, held at Cary High, is an extension of the State Fair’s annual Food Lion Hunger Relief Day, when visitors receive free admission to the Fair on a certain day by donating four cans of food at the entrance gate.

“This year our goal is to collect 200,000 pounds of food because the need is so great,” said Wesley Wyatt, State Fair manager. “We hope that the kickoff event between Cary and Athens Drive will raise awareness about Hunger Relief Day and help us reach our goal.”

Cary and Athens Drive fans will be able to support their team by bringing non-perishable food items to the homecoming game Friday. Food Bank and State Fair staff will be on hand to collect donations for both teams. Everyone who donates canned goods at the game will be entered into a raffle for a State Fair Family Prize Pack, which includes admission and other State Fair souvenir items.

The football team that collects the most food will be given free admission to the Fair on Hunger Relief Day and recognized in a special ceremony by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. All collected food will be donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, which serves a 34-county area surrounding Raleigh.

Hunger Relief Day is Thursday, Oct. 22. For more information about this and other events at the 2009 N.C. State Fair, go to www.ncstatefair.org.

-pmj-1