BUSINESS NEWS
Wheatland Electric has raised $90,785 in cash and food donations for one dozen local food banks during our 2023 Power the Pantry campaign. This includes a $13,080 cash donation to the Community Food Bank of Barton County in Great Bend.
In addition to the monetary gift, Wheatland employees also delivered 7,051 pounds of food earlier this month following the Great Bend School Competition, held in late October. A total of 12 Great Bend schools competed for $1,500 in cash prizes, generously sponsored by Gifting Forward, a local foundation.
This year’s collection is the equivalent of just over 45 tons of food ($1 = 1 lb.), is an 66% increase over last year’s collection (54,599 lbs. in 2022). This brings the combined 10-year food drive total to 317,693 lbs., or just over 159 tons of food.
In 2014, our inaugural year, our food drive raised 6,615 pounds of food.
Through an online fundraising campaign, monetary donations from co-op members across Wheatland's seven district offices, local business partnerships, a friendly school competition in Great Bend, and a fifth annual Co-ops Care Charity Golf Tournament (held Sept. 15, 2023), Wheatland raised a total of $90,785 ($1 = 1 lb.) of the $100,000 goal.
The following monetary donations were delivered to the following food banks as of Thanksgiving:
· Caldwell – United Methodist Food Pantry ($2,485) and Caldwell Food Bank ($4,985)
· Conway Springs – Conway Springs Mission Mart (Cardinals Care: $5,432)
· Finney County – Emmaus House ($4,665) and Genesis Family Health ($4,370)
· Great Bend – Community Food Bank of Barton County ($13,080)
· Harper – Harper Mission Mart ($8,190)
· Holcomb – Horns for Hope c/o USD 363 ($2,885)
· Leoti – Wichita County Food Bank, Leoti ($8,030)
· Scott City – Hope’s Closet/Ministerial Alliance ($12,415)
· Syracuse – Hamilton County Food Pantry ($6,245)
· Tribune – Greeley County Food Bank ($6,150)