For nearly 60 hours, cars have streamed through five locations around Hampton Roads and northeastern North Carolina to help make the holidays brighter for local families in need.
The 27th Mayflower Marathon supporting area food banks wraps up Sunday afternoon after setting up shop at several locations around Hampton Roads and across the state line.
- Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach
- Kroger Marketplace at 1017 University Blvd. in Suffolk
- Kroger at 1050 W. Mercury Blvd. at Coliseum Central in Hampton
- Kroger at 5007-2 Victory Blvd. in Tabb
- Moyock Welcome Center in Moyock, NC
All food donations and money collected in Virginia Beach and Suffolk will go to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, and the donations made at the Hampton and Tabb locations will benefit the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. The donations made in Moyock will go to the Foodbank of the Albemarle.
On Sunday, Chris Tan, head of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, told News 3 the nonprofit was close to reaching its goal of $200,000 donated and collecting 200,000 pounds of food.
“We’re seeing a 30 percent increase in our (food bank) lines from the height of COVID, so food banks and food bank partners and pantries who used to serve 600 families a month are now serving a thousand," Tan told News 3 on Sunday. "We know this will only get worse during the holiday season and so we’re doing things like this to make sure we help as many as we can.”
Volunteers at each location collected money and food items, like turkey and other proteins, vegetables, side dishes and non-perishables. It's set to be delivered to families in need on Monday and Tuesday.
Click HERE for more information on how you can still donate money, food or your time this holiday season.
