Food drive at Harrington Raceway nets over 12,000 items
Harrington Raceway and Casino partnered Dec. 26 with the Food Bank of Delaware's Milford branch for an enormously successful food drive dubbed Give and Receive Donation Day.
The spirit of giving and tremendous community support were evident as lines began to form nearly two hours before the 11 a.m. scheduled start time outside the casino's Gold Room. Customers were asked to bring in five nonperishable canned goods, and the response was overwhelming as more than 12,000 donated items filled 15 bulk-sized pallet boxes.
"We can't thank Harrington Raceway and Casino enough for hosting this wonderful promotion," said Food Bank of Delaware Workforce Development Director Chad Robinson. "It underscores their strong commitment to helping those in need. The Food Bank of Delaware appreciates their support, not only in this, but in their regular volunteer visits and deep involvement in our Culinary School."
Harrington Raceway and Casino has maintained a strong partnership with the Food Bank of Delaware through volunteer efforts as well as involvement with the Food Bank's Milford-based culinary program. The class consists of a 14-week program of developing skills and a passion for the culinary arts. The final two weeks of the program are internship-based and provide hands-on experience for the students.
"Harrington Raceway and Casino is committed to strengthening and improving our community, and The Food Bank is one of the organizations with whom we have a strong collaboration," said Hank Rosenberg, COO of Hospitality at Harrington Raceway and Casino. "Not only are we excited about the amount of food that we were able to collect, we are proud of our volunteerism at their facility and our relationship with their culinary program. I don't believe the average person realizes the hunger that exists in our community, and the number of children and adults that depend on the Food Bank for their basic meals. It is sad when you are told of how many people don't know where their next meal is coming from. And these individuals can be your neighbors. What many of us take for granted is such a struggle that exists for many in lower Delaware. No child should go hungry, and so many would if it weren't for the Food Bank."
While the food drive was the most recent of the company's charitable endeavors, the Harrington-based casino also had similar drives to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware in 2017 and victims of Hurricane Harvey.
For more information on the Food Bank of Delaware, go to www.fbd.org.
