STAUNTON, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank hosted its Shop to Stop Hunger event Thursday at the Staunton Kroger on Statler Boulevard.

In this morning’s competition, Tate Love of TimerlakeSmith Attorneys-at-Law in Staunton won the overall “Cart Away Hunger Hero Award” by filling up his cart with the greatest amount of food donations for the Food Bank.

Tate Love
Tate Love wins the Cart Away Hunger Hero Award.

Other local celebrity participants included Tony Davenport – Owner of DJ L3D and Board Member of the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, Christine Flory – Owner of Flory Fitness and Director of Wellness Initiatives at Mary Baldwin University, Dr. Eric Irizarry – Superintendent, Staunton City Schools, and Pamela Snyder – Central Feeding Ministry.

Dr. Eric Irizarry
Pamela Snyder
Tony Davenport

Pamela Snyder collected the most pounds of food and Dr. Eric Irizarry’s cart was monetarily worth the most.

Director of Development and Community Engagement Cathy Bagwell Marsh says enough food and cash donations were raised today to provide over 38-thousand meals for those in need.

Shop to Stop Hunger has provided nearly 900-thousand meals across the Blue Ridge region since it started in 2013.