State Fair of Texas Donates $25,000 to NTFB
The year 2020 will be remembered for many things. It was a year that challenged us all — and while we couldn’t get together in traditional fashion, we found ways to support each other and carry-on deep-rooted traditions in new, creative ways. The North Texas Food Bank is proud to announce the State Fair of Texas has donated $25,000 to help us continue the fight against hunger in North Texas.
For more than 30 years, the North Texas Food Bank and the State Fair of Texas have partnered to host a canned food drive while the State Fair takes place each fall. And this isn’t just any food drive – it is the Food Bank’s largest canned food drive every year. During the 2019 Fair, we collected more than 325,000 pounds of food during special promotion days, when State Fair guests received discounted admission in exchange for donating canned food items to help feed families in need.
Despite the unique circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the State Fair found an innovative way to give attendees the opportunity to make a difference for those in North Texas experiencing hunger. While the guests could not bring physical cans like they have in years past, the State Fair of Texas donated a portion of the proceeds from the 2020 Big Tex Fair Food Drive-Thru. As a result of these efforts, the State Fair made a $25,000 gift to the North Texas Food Bank. These funds will help us as we continue to address the elevated hunger needs in the North Texas community, by providing 75,000 meals to help feed those in need.
In addition to the State Fair’s donation, we partnered together to host one of the largest food drives of the year on the fairgrounds at Fair Park. This allowed us to collectively help as many people as possible during the heart of the pandemic, when the need was exceptionally high.
We are extremely grateful for our long partnership with the State Fair of Texas and for its history of giving back to our community. We look forward to returning to the fairgrounds in 2021 and saying howdy to Big Tex this fall.
