Brandon, MB. – The Brandon Wheat Kings, in association with Heritage Co-op are pleased to announce that they will be teaming up with Farm Credit Canada and hosting a stop on FCC’s Drive Away Hunger tour.

Volunteers from both Heritage Co-op and FCC will be collecting food and cash donations before this Friday’s Western Hockey League game between the Wheat Kings and visiting Everett Silvertips at Westman Communications Group Place.

“More than 55,000 people rely on Manitoba food banks each month and 50% of those are children. Last year, more than 189,000 pounds of food was collected for the Manitoba food banks,” explained Barry Watson, FCC Director, Brandon District. “FCC’s Drive Away Hunger program is a way for western Manitoba to work together to reduce hunger and make a difference for those in need, and we are excited to have Heritage Co-op and the Wheat Kings as partners.”

All donations collected at the game will go to local Food Banks.

“This is an opportunity for the Wheat Kings and one of our partners to assist FCC’s Drive Away Hunger program,” said Wheat Kings’ director of Sales and Sponsorship Rick Dillabough. “Because western Manitobans have been so good to us, we are always looking for ways to support our communities…and the Drive Away Hunger tour is another way for us to lend support to a program that will benefit individuals and families in this area.”

Each year, FCC partners with local food banks, schools, businesses, community groups and its customers to help fight hunger in Manitoba and across Canada through the Drive Away Hunger program. The initiative involves tractors travelling through communities to collect food and cash donations for local food banks with this year’s tour taking place between October 15th to 19th.

FCC is also collecting food and cash donations in each of their field offices until October 19th.

To find out more about the FCC Drive Away Hunger program, visit www.fccdriveawayhunger.ca.

Tickets to the game are on sale now at the Keystone Centre box office, by calling 726-3555 or online at www.keystonecentre.com

The Wheat Kings enter the week with a record of 5-2-0, after splitting two home games this past weekend. Brandon will close out its current 4-game home stand on Saturday night against the visiting Tri-City Americans.