"60-Day Hunger Drive" provides one million meals to alleviate hunger across Illinois and western Indiana

Annawan, Ill. - Since it was commissioned in January, a 60-year-old red tractor has traveled more than 1,300 miles and raised $35,192 for the River Bend Foodbank. Caren Laughlin, Director of Marketing at River Bend Foodbank accepted the donation during a presentation at Birkey's Annawan, Ill., location on Wednesday, April 23.

For two months, the restored Farmall Super MTA tractor served as an inventive for donations: individuals who gave $10 or more were entered into a drawing to win it. The tractor visited 12 Birkey's Farm Store locations from Feb. 3 to April 4 as part of the company's 60-Day Hunger Drive.

"This is an incredible effort on the part of Birkey's and its customers and we are very grateful," says Tom Laughlin, executive director of River Bend Foodbank. "Unfortunately the need for emergency food assistance in our outer counties continues to grow and families face tough decisions such as choosing between paying bills and buying food. The support from Birkey's will make a big difference in helping our neighbors in need."

The River Bend Foodbank received donations from 6 Birkey's stores, including Henry, Macomb, Galesburg, Polo, Prophetstown, and Annawan. Proceeds from each Birkey's location will be allocated to agencies in that store's local community.

More than 3,000 individuals and seven food banks participated in the drive, which raised $167,000 in donations–enough for one million meals.

"I am so proud of the way our employees worked together to contribute to neighbors in need," says Mike Hedge, President and CEO of Birkey's. "We hope that this donation will have a big impact, but we know that the need will continue long after our drive is over. We are grateful for the food banks' efforts to alleviate hunger year-round."

In the 47 counties served by Birkey's Farm Stores, Inc., more than 286,000 people are not able to access a nutritious meal when they want it, and one in five children is food insecure. Food banks selected to benefit from the drive were all part of the Feeding America network.

Ross Cluver of Buckley, Ill., won the tractor in the official drawing on Thursday, April 10.

The Kaaba Shriners are in their 24th year of collecting the little tabs off of soda pop and beer cans to raise money to help with the expenses of caring for children with orthopedic injuries, diseases, and birth defects.

Based in Davenport but with membership throughout southeastern Iowa and western Illinois, the Kaaba Shriners are also known for their parade participation, circuses and other community events in addition to their support of the network of hospitals and their care for children.

Noble Jack Stamm, PP, began the tab collections in 1990 by turning in the tabs as scrap aluminum and using the money received to help with patient expenses. So far in 2014, the local Shriners have collected over 1,900 pounds of tabs which has netted them $944.70. And it takes 1,267 of those little tabs just to make a pound! Since the inception of this program, they've recycled 378,432 pounds for a whopping total of $202,194.67! That works out to almost one half billion tabs, all of it to aid in the care of children!

Pretty soon when you think of the Shriners you'll think hospitals, circuses, parades and those little aluminum tabs. For more information on the tabs project, to make a donation of tabs, or for information on the Kaaba Shriners in general, please contact them at 563-386-2526.

Whitetails Unlimited "WTU" is a Non-Profit National conservation group that started in 1982 and has chapters/members throughout Iowa.

In WTU fiscal year 2012-2013 we joined forces with Drury Outdoors "Mark & Terry Drury" to raise funds for "Catch A Dream". www.catchadream.org

Catch A Dream was formed to take Children 18 years of age and younger with a terminal illness on a Hunt of a Life Time!! Now remember, this was the childs own dream before they are taken up to the Big Blue Sky.....

So the Drury Brothers donated over 300 shed antlers all signed and numbered to Whitetails Unlimited "WTU". WTU then utilized these sheds at the annual chapter fund-raising banquets to raise money to take these kids on a Hunt of a Life Time!

So WTU is excited to announce they recently have donated over $100,000 to Catch A Dream in support of all kids in the Catch A Dream program!!

A big thank you to all WTU members in Iowa and throughout the USA!!

All of the volunteers and staff at the Bettendorf Discovery Shop are hoping that you will be able to join us Monday, May 5th for our Garden event.  We are all ready to welcome a long awaited spring by filling the shop with a variety of beautiful spring things that have been donated over the last year.

The store will be bursting with lovely items for your home and garden.  Plants & flowers for inside and outside, pictures, dishes, yard decorations, birdhouses, the list goes on and on.  We will also have lots of beautiful flowered clothing and accessories to brighten your day.  There will be a lot of great things to see, so we hope that you can stop by and take part in the fun!

The Discovery Shop is an upscale resale shop that is celebrating 26 years of successful fundraising in Bettendorf.  Thanks to the generosity of the community, the Discovery Shop raises money by selling gently used items donated by individual donors and local businesses.  Helping to make the shop such a success is the staff of wonderful volunteers that donate their time, if you are interested in joining our volunteer team we are always happy to have extra hands to help.   All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society for cancer research, education, patient services and advocacy.

Donations needed and welcomed anytime the shop is open and a tax receipt is always available.  Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm., Thursday from 10 am to 7 pm. and Saturday from10 am to 4 pm.