The 3rd Annual Juice Drive was launched with a noteworthy start as Juice Drive sponsors and supporters gathered inside a local Kroger store to kick-off this year’s Juice Drive. Sponsors WSLS10, Kroger, Nestle, Acquisition Title & Settlement, and supporter Miss Roanoke Valley Madison VanDuyne are all excited to start another exciting Juice Drive!

Thanks to new Juice Drive sponsor Nestle, this annual event launched  with Nestle’s donation of an entire truckload of 100% Juicy Juice! “Nestlé Juicy Juice is pleased to donate thousands of bottles of 100% juice to help Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank kick off its annual 100% Juice Drive. One six ounce serving of Nestlé Juicy Juice 100% juice provides one serving of fruit and can be a healthy part of a well-balanced diet,” stated a Nestle representative. “Nestlé USA has partnered with Feeding America for more than 20 years, donating more than 36 million pounds of product to 127 food banks nationwide in the last four years alone.”

All Juice Drive sponsors and supporters are lending a helping hand. Acquisition Title & Settlement also donated 100% juice at today’s kick-off and for the third year in a row, Kroger announced the offering $1 and $5 Juice Drive icons at each register in its stores in Southwest Virginia in an effort to make it convenient for residents to participate in the Juice Drive as they check out.  Every penny of those icon sales is dedicated to providing 100% juice to the Food Bank’s Children’s Programs.

“We consider ourselves so lucky to have such wonderful supporters of the Juice Drive teaming up with us,” said Pamela Irvine, President & CEO of the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank. “It’s estimated that more than 77,000 children struggle with hunger in Southwest Virginia. Our Food Bank alone provides food for more than 504,000 meals and snacks for Children’s Programs in this region annually. The need is significant and that is why we have set our goal at 200,000 servings of 100% juice this year and we know that with the communities support, we can reach that goal.”

About the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank

The Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank was founded in 1981 and is an affiliate member of Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest). The Food Bank’s ultimate mission is to eliminate hunger in the region. The primary function of the Food Bank is to secure large quantities of food for the hungry. More than 13-million pounds of food is channeled through a network of more than 340+ partner feeding programs (in a 26-county and 10-city region) that provide food or meals to those in need annually. Visit www.swvafoodbank.org for more information.

Article submitted by Jeremy Butterfield

Photos by Emily Flora SWoCo