Coralville Community Food Pantry plans 5k fundraiser - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines

Coralville Community Food Pantry plans 5k fundraiser - The Gazette: Eastern Iowa Breaking News and Headlines

Organization hopes to buy 10,000 pounds of food

Oct 24, 2016 at 9:13 pm | Print View

CORALVILLE — The Coralville Community Food Pantry hopes to purchase 10,000 pounds of food with the money it raises from its upcoming fundraiser.

The fourth annual Food Run 5k takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Coralville Youth Sports Complex, 2480 Dempster Drive. To register, walkers and runners should visit the food pantry’s website, cefoodpantry.org.

Registration fee is $25 for individuals or $20 per person in a team of four or more. Children age 5 and younger are invited to participate at no cost.

John Boller, executive director of the food pantry, said race organizers are encouraging teams to recruit additional members, like co-workers and especially children. He said it can be difficult for kids to volunteer at the pantry during the school year so this provides an avenue to help.

“We want to see families show up, too,” Boller said. “We’re really hoping to encourage more of that.”

The pantry hopes to raise about $3,000. Boller said it’s often more beneficial to donate money to the food pantry rather than food because pantry officials use connections to purchase food in bulk.

“We can stretch those dollars further and purchase larger quantities,” Boller said. “We really appreciate funds that will come in that way.”

Boller said the pantry does plan to bring a trailer in case participants also want to donate food items that day.

This year’s route is planned for northeast Coralville across wide sidewalks and through neighborhoods. It was changed from the previous route because the food pantry itself moved to a new location in the old post office on the corner of Fifth Street and 10th Avenue.

The city of Coralville gave the pantry a temporary lease on the building, a spot city officials hope to be redeveloped in the future. The lease allows the pantry extra room while it looks for another new location around the same area.

The money raised from the 5k should help the food pantry provide for the more than 14 percent of Johnson County residents who are food insecure. The Coralville pantry is serving more and more people each week, officials have said.

The pantry is open for those in need from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to noon Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

IF YOU GO

What: Food Run 5k

When: 9 a.m. Sat. Nov. 5

Where: Coralville Youth Sports Complex, 2480 Dempster Drive

Price: $25 for individual registration, $20 per person for group of four or more (use code GROUP)

Registration: cefoodpantry.org

To donate: The Coralville Community Food Pantry is located at 1002 Fifth St. Donations hours are 11 a.m. to noon Monday, 10 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, 10 to 11 a.m. Friday and 10:30 to 1 p.m. Saturday.

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