Community Corner

United Way Thanks 'Feed Lake County' Volunteers With Awards Ceremony

This year's food drive raised more than 45,000 pounds of food and $60,000 to help feed the hungry in Lake County

wrapped up its last week with an awards reception.

The ceremony took place at the organization's Mentor office and recognition was given to businesses, organizations and individuals who contributed above and beyond to make the annual food drive a success.

The Feed Lake County Campaign began on March 2 and raised more than 45,100 pounds of food and $62,000 in cash donations. The money will be used to purchase more food throughout the year.

The Feed Lake County Campaign showcased many highlights, between Avery Dennison, Winter Equipment and Marous Brothers Construction at the Great Lakes Mall.

Other highlights from the Feed Lake County Campaign included:

  • Distributing 712 hams to food pantries the week before Easter.
  • Distributing 45,188 pounds of food to 53 food pantries on April 24, with the help from volunteers from Winter Equipment.
  • donating more than 10,311 pounds of food, which was the biggest single donation during the campaign.
  • First Energy Perry Nuclear Facility gave $20,588 which was the largest cash donation during the campaign.
  • In total, there were more than 60 individual food drives conducted during the campaign.

In addition to the highlights, the following businesses, organizations and individuals received the below awards:

  • Outstanding Social Service Agency: YMCA Central
  • Outstanding Company Award: Workplace Media
  • Outstanding Continuing Effort: Parker Hannifin
  • Outstanding Service Club Award: Willoughby Rotary
  • Outstanding Government Agency: Willoughby Municipal Court
  • Outstanding High School: Mentor High School
  • Outstanding Middle School:
  • Outstanding Elementary School:
  • Outstanding Special Event: , Avery Dennison, Marous Brothers, Winter Equipment, MC Sign, Meister Media. 
  • Outstanding Gift-in-Kind Awards: Great Lakes Mall, Polychem, Office Max, Salvation Army Citadel
  • Outstanding Volunteers: Willoughby Explorers, Mentor High School Football Team, MC Sign, DeNora Tech, Winter Equipment, Interlake Stamping, Plumbers Local 55, Harvey High School, Holden Arboretum, Lake County Council on Aging, Faith Tomsick, Avery Dennison, Erika Thiedemann, Trent Dlugos, Teen Challenge, Lake House.
  • 1,000 Club Award: , Meister Media, Orchard Hollow Elementary, Avery Dennison, Marous Brothers, Winter Equipment, MC Sign, Workplace Media.
  • Above & Beyond Award:
  • Bob Sauer Award: First Energy Corporation
  • Clem Urbanski Award: Winter Equipment 

Even though the Feed Lake County drive is finished for another year, people can still donate food or money to help feed the needy.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

They can bring their donations to the United Way of Lake County headquarters at 9285 Progress Parkway in Mentor.

The most requested donations are soups, canned fruits and vegetables, tuna fish and other canned meats, macaroni and other boxed meals, beef stew, ravioli and other canned ready meals, peanut butter and jelly, pasta and sauce, cereals and breakfast foods and toilet tissue and other personal care items.

Find out what's happening in Mentorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Likewise, checks can be made payable to: United Way of Lake County by designating Feed Lake County in the memo section.


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