Peanut butter, cereal and other foods could be seen in the back of a police cruiser Saturday at the Lake Country Save-On-Foods.
Since 2012, RCMP officers have been asking for donations outside of the Save-On-Foods in Lake Country on the first Saturday in December, stuffing a cruizer full of non-perishable food items for the annual Cram the Cruiser event.
Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey started the initiative when he was first transferred from Chilliwack to Lake Country.
READ MORE: RCMP return to Cram the Cruiser
“There was a similar intuitive there, and I wanted to start something here because I recognized the Lake Country Food Bank wasn’t getting as much support as I thought it needed,” he said.
The event has raised more than $28,000 in cash and cheques and more than 11,000 pounds of donated items since its inception, O’Donaghey said.
What started with just O’Donaghey, has grown into around 40 volunteers helping out, he said.
“It’s perfect timing to get it out into hampers, but to see that kind of community backing, we’re really grateful for that,” said food bank manager Joy Haxton.
If you missed the event, you can still help the food bank by buying special Save-On-Food gift cards, which can be purchased with cash from the Lake Country Legion. Sixteen per cent of the sales go directly to the food bank.
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