Today Boise Mayor David Bieter proclaimed Saturday, May 11, as Letter Carriers Food Drive Day in honor of the 21st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Bieter was joined at the Main Post Office at 13th and Shoreline by Carrier Candice Lincoln, Postmaster Dan Corral, Mayor David Bieter and Karen Vauk, The Idaho Foodbank’s President and CEO.

The goal for this year’s Stamp Out Hunger drive is 200,000 pounds or about 167,000 meals. One in six Idahoans – 267,600 people – is food insecure, and The Idaho Foodbank provides free emergency food more than 116,000 times each month. In 2012, the Foodbank distributed 12.2 million pounds of food – about 10.2 million meals – to families in need across the state.

The annual drive is set for Saturday, May 11. This week most postal patrons will receive WinCo grocery bags and reminder postcards in the mail.

All people have to do is leave bags of non-perishable food near their mailboxes on Saturday morning. After that, the letter carriers and hundreds of Idaho Foodbank volunteers will take care of the rest. The Foodbank will also gladly accept checks made out to The Idaho Foodbank and placed in separate marked envelopes.

Carrier Candice Lincoln, Postmaster Dan Corral, Mayor David Bieter and Karen Vauk, The Idaho Foodbank’s President and CEO.

Official Proclamation

Guests of honor at the pre-show reception included cast members (from left) Taylor Colleton, who played Silly Girl and an enchanted object; Jimmy Larkin, who was LeFou; Tony D’Alelio, the Carpet; and Stephen Petrovic, a member of the ensemble. They signed autographs and read from the “Beauty and the Beast” picture book.

It’s a wonderful occasion when people can come together for something joyful and help thousands of people at the same time.

That occasion materialized on Sunday, April 28, at Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Though the Morrison Center hosted four performances, 180 people bought tickets from The Idaho Foodbank especially for this special benefit presentation. Those tickets generated $32,519, and with the net proceeds the Foodbank will be able to provide about 63,000 meals for hungry families across Idaho.

About 120 people chose to buy the premium tickets, which gave them a chance to meet cast members and sample the delicious snacks provided by Aramark.

“Our kids loved the show!” said Scott Kreiling, President of Regency Blue Shield of Idaho. “They couldn’t stop talking about it.”

Presenting sponsors Fred Meyer and Camille Beckman made this enchanted evening possible. They got additional support from Fredricksen Health Insurance and Regence BlueShield of Idaho. We are extremely grateful to them, to the cast of the show, to the Morrison Center and to everyone who made this event such a success. The Idaho Press Tribune was our excellent media partner, and Aramark took superb care of us and our guests once again.

Thank you all so much for being so generous and easy to work with.

Our guests were enchanted by the hors d’oeuvres, though the dishes stayed in place.

Two young beauties at the pre-show reception.