Conway Police held their annual Cram The Cruiser Food Drive Saturday. ~ Photo Courtesy Of Conway Police
North Conway, NH – On Saturday Conway Police Department held their sixth annual Cram the Cruiser Holiday food drive at the North Conway Hannaford Saturday.
Conway Police dispatch Supervisor and food drive organizer Joanne MacKenzie said that thanks to the extremely generous monetary donations from The Conway Area Lions Club, the North Conway Firefighters Association, the Center Conway Firefighters Association and individuals in the community they spent nearly $1,700 in cash inside the store on non-perishable food, toiletries, and paper goods for local food pantries.
The food drive also received over $2000 in donations of the Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger boxes, and approximately $1000 worth of bagged groceries donated by Hannaford customers doing their weekend shopping.
“The Conway Police Department Command Unit was stuffed nearly to the top by the end of the drive”. ~ Photo courtesy of Conway Police
MacKenzie said the Conway Police Department Command Unit was stuffed nearly to the top by the end of the drive. Officers, Dispatchers and staff then delivered the donations to the Vaughn Community Center food pantry and the Conway Village Congregational Church food pantry.
According to Melody, the Conway Village Congregational Church pantry has supported 492 households, which equals 45,400 meals, over the last eleven months. Vaughn Community Services pantry supports 1,068 households annually which, according to Jennifer Perkins at Vaughn, equals 110,886 meals.
With the high temperature on Saturday reaching only in the twenties, the Police Department staff stayed mainly in the lobby at Hannaford, received warm greetings and holiday wishes from the shoppers, and handed out candy canes to children. Some children even got to sit in a police car and turn on the blue lights.
MacKenzie, Conway Police Chief Ed Wagner and Lieutenant Chris Mattei all agreed that this was their biggest food drive yet. Saying that they were grateful to the Mount Washington Valley Community for the outpouring of support during what can be a difficult time of year for local families.
