FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            

MEDIA ADVISORY

Roadrunner Food Bank

CONTACT: Jasmin Holmstrup

505-247-2052, ext 129

505-306-5203 (cell)

LT GOVERNOR DIANE DENISH TO

HAND-DELIVER $25,000 IN DONATIONS

State Employees Donate $50,000 To Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort

Albuquerque, NM - September 21, 2005 – Today at 4pm, Lt Governor Diane Denish is scheduled to tour Roadrunner Food Bank and also deliver another $25,000 in donations from state employees.  This brings the estimated total contributions to $50,000 that has been collected by the Office of Lt. Governor Denish for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

“It’s amazing”, said Melody Wattenbarger Executive Director of Roadrunner Food Bank. “This is the only group we have worked with to generate this amount of money.  The employees of the State of New Mexico should be very proud to be making such a significant contribution to the recovery efforts.  This will truly change the lives of many of the people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.”

Today’s contribution of $25,000 brings the total amount raised by Roadrunner Food Bank to $165,000.  This past  Monday, Roadrunner sent its first check of $100,000 to America’s Second Harvest,  the national hunger relief organization.  100% of the funds designated for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts will be used for recovery efforts.

To date, Roadrunner Food Bank has collected over 1.1 million pounds of food from the community – equal to an estimated 880,000 meals.  The organization has readied the food for use as needed in the disaster recovery efforts.  Roadrunner Food Bank works with America’s Second Harvest on shipping the items where needed most.

As New Mexico waits to accept potential evacuees fleeing from Hurricane Rita, Roadrunner Food Bank is working with our local agencies to prepare for their arrival. 

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(Get DIRECTIONS TO THE FOOD BANK HERE)