The president and CEO of The Long Foundation, Inc., Rodney Long, recognized donors, volunteers, benefactors and co-sponsors of the of the 2012 Strike Out Hunger Food Drive in a presentation to the Alachua County Commission Tuesday morning.
The 2012 drive was held Nov. 1 to 7 during National Hunger Month.
Long, a former county commissioner, said the goal for the 2012 food drive - to collect 100,000 pounds of food - was not reached. Still, the 78,000 pounds collected is "an overall success," he said.
The second part of the 2012 food drive, the Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway Program, was also successful. Needy families received 585 baskets and 750 food bags. Long said the basket giveaway helped 2,016 people (953 adults, 906 children and 157 seniors).
The Long Foundation sponsored the drive and the Alachua County Government, City of Gainesville and Martin Luther King, Jr., Commission of Florida Inc. were co-sponsors.
Long said the drive's goals include building a safety net for those in need, increasing the availability of food to those who are lacking nutrients, bringing awareness to hunger, and develop a plan to unite community food collections.
The 2013 drive will be held Nov. 1 to 8 at the Alachua County Fairgrounds.
Leila Milgrim wrote this story online.