Early Registration Begins May 1, 2024

May 1, 2024 [Chicopee, MA] – The Food Bank’s Will Bike 4 Food early registration begins May 1st and continues through May 31st. We are excited to welcome Stop & Shop back for their 9th consecutive year as the presenting sponsor. Through this partnership, Will Bike 4 Food brings cyclists from across the region together on Sunday, September 22nd to pedal toward a hunger-free Western Massachusetts.

Behind the scenes, Stop & Shop’s dedication to end hunger is robust and innovative. While Stop & Shop prioritizes serving its customers, the reality of any retail market is the risk of perfectly good surplus food going to waste. According to Feeding America, the equivalent of 145 billion meals goes into landfills each year – with much of that food still safe to eat. Often, the only reason for its disposal is cosmetic defects or an approaching sell-by date.

Stop & Shop has created an innovative way to reduce waste through its retail recovery program. Highquality food at risk of going to waste is donated to the Food Bank and our region’s food assistance network. Over the years, Stop and Shop has donated dairy products, frozen meats, produce, bread, baked goods, and more – the equivalent of 770,000 meals last year!

Stephanie Cunha, Manager of External Communications at Stop & Shop, says that the company is proud to be involved in the work of expanding food access, explaining, “Feeding people is part of our DNA, and it’s what drives our commitment to addressing hunger in the communities we serve.”

“Stop & Shop’s partnership is invaluable,” said Andrew Morehouse, Executive Director of the Food Bank. “Their contributions through the food recovery program and unwavering support for Will Bike 4 Food are essential in helping us end hunger in Western Massachusetts.”

The 14th annual Will Bike 4 Food will take place at the Lions Club Pavilion in Hatfield on Sunday, September 22, 2024. Early registration begins May 1st.and continues through May 31st. This year’s goal of $250,000 would provide the equivalent of 750,000 meals to the community!

关于马萨诸塞州西部食品银行： 自1982年以来，西马萨诸塞州食品银行一直是社区消除饥饿的合作伙伴。我们通过自身项目（流动食品银行和“棕色纸袋：老年人食品计划”）以及伯克希尔、富兰克林、汉普登和汉普郡的食品援助网络，直接提供健康且符合文化习惯的食品。该网络由独立的食品救济站、供餐点和庇护所组成，它们奋战在第一线，为个人、家庭、老年人、儿童、退伍军人和残疾人士提供食品和资源，帮助他们过上健康而有意义的生活。食品银行与公众合作开展教育和宣传活动，以解决导致饥饿的系统性问题，并始终秉持着人人享有健康食品权利的信念。

媒体联系：

黛布·翁多 (Deb Ondo)，马萨诸塞州西部食品银行通讯与参与经理

debo@foodbankwma.org 电话：413-419-0170。