This will be the third year that Ryan Companies has been the presenting sponsor for the Student Hunger Drive's Corporate Challenge. "The Corporate Challenge is a great opportunity for the business community to be a role model in community awareness that the students can look to as they prepare to kick off the Student Hunger Drive in their schools," said Greg Lundgren, President of Ryan Companies, USA, Inc. The Quad City Area high school students will kick off their hunger drives at the end of September.

The John Deere Foundation will help the Student Hunger Drive celebrate its 25 year anniversary. The Corporate Challenge Hunger Drive addresses a pressing problem in the Quad Cities region," says John Bustle, Vice President, John Deere Foundation. "It is a great way for all companies and businesses in our region to support our citizens.

A John Deere Foundation grant of up to $25,000 has been approved for this initiative, extending our support for the River Bend Food Bank, which includes the development and funding of BackPack programs in elementary schools, and individual capacity-building grants to help it meet the increasing demand for its services."

Companies participating are: Alternatives for the Older Adult, American Rental Association, Alcoa, Bettendorf Family YMCA, City of Davenport, Deloitte, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Eye Surgeons Associates PC, Gere Dismer Architects, Isabel Bloom LLC, Java Java, Junior Achievement of the Heartland Inc, Lujack's Northpark Auto Plaza, McLaughlin Body Co., McLaughlin Motors, Mel Foster Company, Midland Corporation, Quad City Times, Ruhl &Ruhl Commercial, Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors, Ryan Companies US Inc, Sam's Club, Snyder Park & Nelson PC, The National Bank, Trissel Graham & Toole, United Way of the Quad Cities Area, Weiss Family Chiropractic, Wells Fargo Bank and Walgreens.

"Demand for our services is at an unprecedented high", said Tom Laughlin, Executive Director of River Bend Food Bank. "The Corporate Challenge is a great way for the business community to join us in our daily battle against hunger". River Bend Foodbank is the largest hunger relief organization in the Quad City area with an annual distribution of over 6 million pounds of food through a distribution network of 300 feeding programs in 22 counties.

"The Corporate Challenge has been a natural progression from the students that were initially involved in the Student Hunger Drive to becoming vital leaders in our community and carrying on the passion of volunteerism and giving back to their neighbors in need," said Sarah Johnson, Student Hunger Drive Advisory Board Member.

"I am confident that this group of enthusiastic businesses will be successful in reaching our 50,000 pound goal to receive the generous $25,000 award from The John Deere Foundation," says Amy Pearson, Corporate Challenge Director for the Student Hunger Drive.

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