Annual City-Wide Food Drive Shoots for a World Record Today

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Sept. 20, 2014) - Today is the 10^th year for the city's largest single-day food drive and to mark the occasion, 7,000 volunteers are hoping for more than half a million pounds of food to reclaim the Guinness Book of World Record for the most food collected in one day.

In 2008, Calgary held the Guinness Book of World Records status for the 'largest food drive in 24 hours - single location' with a total 511,102b lbs. The title was taken in 2011 and is currently being held by the North Carolina School of Science & Mathematics in Durham, NC, USA with 559,885 lbs.

This one day food drive happens at an important time of year when the Food Bank is heading into a period of high demand. "We have already seen a 10% increase in the number of clients this past summer so the donations we receive at this food drive will help immensely." Keoma Duce, Development Coordinator - Organizational Giving at the Calgary Food Bank explains, "Back-to-school expenses, the completion of many summer jobs and the high cost of living in Calgary contribute to many stretched budgets. Imagine this one-day food drive that collects more than half a million pounds of non-perishables, will help us feed all that we serve ... for 2 1/2 weeks."

Donations are being picked up by volunteers through-out Calgary from 10AM through to 4PM. Non-perishable food items may also be brought to the warehouse on event day until 5PM and all food collected will contribute to the Guinness World Record.