Competition raised equivalent of more than 1.1 million pounds of food in two years since launch
RICHMOND – Governor McDonnell today announced the winners of the second annual “Governor’s Bowl Food and Fund Drive.” The governor called each winning Chamber of Commerce and winning state agency this morning to express his gratitude personally. More than 100 Chambers across the Commonwealth and over 60 state government agencies participated in the five week competition that began on Memorial Day and ended on Independence Day. The 2013 competition raised the equivalent of over 400,000 pounds of food to benefit over one million individuals served by Virginia food banks. The summer season includes critical months when pressure on food bank resources is high and shelves need replenishing.
Over 1.1 million pounds of food were raised in just two years of the Governor’s Bowl competition. The 2013 Governor’s Bowl public-private partnership supports the mission of the Virginia food banks that serve over one million individuals each year.
Both chambers and state agencies were organized by size with small, medium, and large entities competing with their peer groups. The Greater Augusta Regional Chamber is the 2013 overall winner with the equivalent of over 115,000 pounds raised. All of the 2012 winners were repeat Governor’s Bowl champions. Back-to-back Chamber winners are Buchanan County, Greater Augusta, and Greater Richmond. The Virginia Board of Accountancy also defended its title in 2013.
Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell said, “Earlier this summer I renewed my challenge to Virginia’s business community and state agencies to compete in good fun for a worthwhile cause. We could not do it without our partners at each Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Food Banks, and our teams of state employees. And, I have to say, I’m very pleased to see that the coordinated and focused effort of our summer fellows led to the Office of the Governor winning one of these great awards!”
Lisa M. Hicks-Thomas, Secretary of Administration, said, “As always, our Virginia communities responded with passion and purpose to lift up those in need. I am grateful for the hard work, service, and commitment Virginians exude each day, and am particularly proud of the thousands of state employees who demonstrate their generosity year after year.”
Leslie Van Horn, Executive Director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks said, “Our heartfelt thanks to the Chambers and state government agencies that supported their local food banks during this summertime competition for truly making a difference in the lives of so many in need.”
Barry DuVal, President & CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, said “On behalf of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and our 15,000 member businesses I would like to thank the Governor and his staff for their commitment to ensuring that the shelves of Virginia’s Food Banks are stocked during the summer months. We are thrilled to see such a great response from Virginia’s business community to the Governor’s challenge and would like to thank all of the local chambers that participated in this year’s competition. I especially applaud the Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and all the state agency winners for raising the most food in their respective categories for their regional food banks.”
The Office of the Governor also earned an award this year for most total pounds for a small agency. The Governor’s Fellows Class of 2013 led the executive staff and Cabinet in its efforts to drive greater donations this year. The Class consisted of 16 talented future leaders from Virginia’s colleges and universities who designed an intra-office competition including bake sales, canned food drives, and special prizes to increase participation. The Fellows Class also led by example, spending their personal time volunteering as a group at FeedMore in Richmond. Special thanks go to our partners in the Department of Planning and Budget for their participation and assistance.
The 2013 winners are:
Chambers
Buchanan County Chamber of Commerce (small)
· 18,995 pounds, exceeding its winning 2012 total of 17,694 pounds, benefiting Feeding America Southwest Virginia
Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce (medium)
· 115,529 pounds, exceeding its winning 2012 total of 105,315 pounds. benefiting the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce (large)
· 17, 296 pounds benefiting FeedMore, Inc. (aka Central Virginia Food Bank)
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce (large)
· 17 pounds per person
State Agencies
Office of the Governor (small)
· 9, 096 total pounds
Virginia Board of Accountancy (small)
· 337 pounds per person
Department of Motor Vehicles (medium)
· 28,560 total pounds
Department of Environmental Quality (medium)
· 21 pounds per person
Department of Corrections (large)
· 19, 698 total pounds and 1.71 pounds per person
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