A valley-wide food donation drive was hosted by the Junior Chamber International branches across the Okanagan on Saturday.
The drive, called ValleyDrive, was held for the first time in the region by JCI. Members and community partners set up at many grocery stores around Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon. Proceeds were donated to local food banks.
Cameron Betts, chair of the event in the South Okanagan, said hosting a food drive at this time of year is meant to address a gap that many food banks face.
"The end of March is when food banks are usually at a low stocking period... The timing of this sort of fit that way, and we just ran with it."
Seven grocery stores took part in Penticton and Summerland. In Penticton, the five participating grocery stores collected just under 4,000 pounds of food and close to $800 in donations.
Betts said organizers weren't sure what to expect since this was their first-ever event, but said they are ecstatic by the community support.
"Personally, I'm blown away... There was a lot of people that were coming and some people donated bags and bags, which was shocking. I found it outstanding."
He added the JCI branches in the Okanagan plan on making the ValleyDrive food donation drive an annual event.