Several dozen high school students from around the Fargo-Moorhead area and beyond gave a chunk of their time Sunday evening to help organize the third annual Fill the Dome event, which aims to fight hunger.
Meeting at Fargo Oak Grove Lutheran School, the students outlined goals for this year's event, which is Nov. 23 at the Fargodome.
By that date, organizers hope to raise $75,000, collect 75 tons of food and secure 7,500 signatures from the public.
The signatures are intended to raise awareness about the presence of hunger and to create ongoing streams of support for homeless shelters and food pantries, said Joe Burgum, a junior at Oak Grove.
Burgum said 30 percent of the funds raised in the campaign will stay in the Fargo-Moorhead area, with 30 percent going to rural communities, where he said the need is greater and where food delivery is more difficult.
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Brandee Drinken, director of the Dorothy Day House, a shelter and food pantry in Moorhead, told those gathered Sunday that 356,000 pounds of food was distributed by the food pantry last year.
For 2009, she said the food pantry anticipates distributing more than 500,000 pounds of food.
Connie and David Eggers attended Sunday's meeting in support of their son, Drew, a senior at Park Christian School in Moorhead and one of the organizer's of this year's Fill the Dome event.
Connie Eggers said meetings like the one Sunday help her understand the demands such a campaign places on student volunteers.
She said she pitches in by keeping a drop box for foodstuffs at her place of work.
Major corporate backers of this year's event include Hornbacher's and Gate City Bank, which have donated $40,000 to help the students reach their goal of $75,000.
To find out more about the food drive, go to www.
fillthedome.org.
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Information about the event is also available on Facebook and Twitter.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Olson at (701) 241-5555
