FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact information:Gentry ThomsonGentry.thomson@riseuppwc.org801-897-8443

5/27/2014Walk for Prince William raises more than 20,000 pounds of food for local food banksPRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Virginia The Walk for Prince William, a county-wide food drive and 32 mile walk organized by Rise Up Prince William, received more than 20,000 pounds of donated food on May 24th that was given to local food banks that include ACTS, The BARN, SERVE, House of Mercy and the Haymarket Food pantry. Supervisor Pete Candland of the Gainesville District, along with community activist Erick Finley of Finley Asphalt and Sealing, walked more than 32 miles over the entire length of the county in order to raise awareness of local food banks need for donations during the summer months. DJ Jordan who is a member of the Virginia State Board of Social Services and Jeanine Lawson and Ross Snare, community activists, joined them at various points of the walk.I was humbled to see the generosity of people throughout Prince William County who are willing to assist families who would otherwise go hungry without their help. Supervisor Candland said when asked about the walk, When you combine the goodness of the wonderful families in Prince William County with the tireless volunteer work of the people who selflessly run the food pantries across the County, the results are magnificent."Along the route, the walkers stopped at participating grocery stores in order to thank the managers for allowing their store to be a donation site. These stores included the Woodbridge Wegmans, Woodbridge Shoppers, Lake Ridge Safeway, Manassas Giant, Bristow Safeway, Gainesville Giant and Gainesville Wegmans. At these stops, the walkers also recognized the food banks benefitting from the food donations and their contributions within Prince William County. When asked how this event compared to past food drives for their organization, Cathie Braun from the Haymarket Food Pantry said, We usually get about 6 or 7 grocery carts full of food, and are really happy about the turn out. But during [the Walk for Prince William] we received at least 17 or 18 grocery carts full and are just amazed by peoples generosity. This year marked Supervisor Candlands second year walking in this event, put on by Rise Up Prince William, a local organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Prince William County families. The walk took just over 12 hours to complete and ended in Haymarket with a community party. ####Rise Up Prince William County is a 501(c)3 applicant that exists to support worthy projects in Prince William County that improve the quality of life for its citizens.