FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Roadrunner Food Bank

CONTACT: Sonya Warwick

Direct: 505-349-8678

Cell: 505-269-4775

ANNUAL BOXING OLYMPICS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Albuquerque, NM - June 9, 2008 – The Roadrunner Food Bank Annual Boxing Olympics were held on June 5 to support the Senior Helpings Program.  During the event, teams competed to fill the most boxes throughout the morning long event.  The top teams included first place winner Don Chalmers Ford who packed 57 boxes, followed by second place winner Wal-Mart store #3731 in Bernalillo, and a tie for third place between Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Sandia National Laboratories.

Throughout the morning, teams competed in ten-minute heats to help fill food boxes that benefit low-income seniors in New Mexico.  In approximately three hours, 1458 boxes were filled for needy seniors.  The event featured nine heats with more than 31 teams of six to eight individuals participating.

Also during the event, Wal-Mart presented a $75,000 check to Roadrunner Food Bank for the benefit of the Senior Helpings Program.  The gift is a multi-year commitment by Wal-Mart to help Roadrunner Food Bank provide food to needy seniors.  The program distributes 1,200 boxes every month to seniors in need.

Melody Wattenbarger, Executive Director at Roadrunner Food Bank said, “Poor seniors in New Mexico are choosing between paying for medicine, rent and food.  We are continuing to see an increase in the number of seniors who need assistance through programs such as our Senior Helpings Program.  Through philanthropic partners such as Wal-Mart we can continue our support to seniors who are hungry.”

The event began with an initial heat of mascots representing local sports teams such as Lucy Lobo, Orbit, Stanley, Trey, and corporate groups such as Jack the Dog from Wells Fargo, McGruff the Crime Dog from APD, and Blue Bear from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico.  Lucy Lobo was this year’s winner of the mascot heat which was a fun-filled way to kick off the competitive heats.

For more information on the Senior Helpings Program at Roadrunner Food Bank, please contact Art Fine, Program Director at 505-349-8845.

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Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico is New Mexico’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to ending hunger.  Through its statewide network of 600 partner agencies and six regional food banks, Roadrunner Food Bank distributes more than 16 million pounds of food annually to approximately 240,000 New Mexicans in need.  Every dollar donated yields $12 worth of food.  Roadrunner Food Bank is the only New Mexico member of America’s Second Harvest—the Nation’s Food Bank Network.  In the 28 years since it was founded, Roadrunner Food Bank has distributed more than 165 million pounds of food statewide.  For more information about Roadrunner Food Bank and its programs visit www.rrfb.org