The 10 Days of Giving food drive coordinated by Winona, Minn.-based Merchants Bank collected 261,127 pounds of food this year.
Merchants Bank collaborates on the program with nonprofit Winona Volunteer Services. This year’s total also included $119,157 in cash and 22,812 pounds of food. Two pounds of food are counted for every dollar.
The total bests the 260,374 pounds of food collected through the program in 2022. This year’s amount was the fourth-most in the 35-year history of 10 Days of Giving. The food drive has collected a total of 4.8 million pounds of food since 1989.
“This drive serves as an excellent representation of the care our community members have for each other,” said Merchants Bank Co-Chair Chris Thrune. “Thank you to those who gave donations and made the season brighter for many.”