Media

WHAT:  Hunger Run 2007 sponsored by Panera Bread

WHERE:  Southern Hills Shopping Center on East Sunshine, Springfield, Missouri

WHEN:  Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 8 a.m. Registration begins at 7 a.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Panera Bread of Springfield will host its inaugural Hunger Run, a five mile run/one mile walk to benefit Ozarks Food Harvest, on Saturday, April 14, 2007, at 8:00 a.m. in the Southern Hills neighborhood and shopping center.

According to Ozarks Food Harvest’s Executive Director Bart Brown, The Food Bank has seen a 44 percent increase in the requests for food assistance in the last four years, and distributed more than four million pounds of food to its more than 300 hunger relief agencies last year. Ozarks Food Harvest announced in December its plans for a capital campaign to build a new regional food distribution center in North Springfield.

Panera Bread Community Relations Director Mindy Spitz, who also serves as Vice President on Ozarks Food Harvest’s Board of Directors, says Panera Bread partners with Ozarks Food Harvest each year for fundraising efforts such as the Operation Dough-nation campaign.

“We are grateful to be a long-time partner of The Food Bank’s, and are hoping that hosting this special event we can help Ozarks Food Harvest meet the increased need in our community,” Spitz said. “This is also a great time for people to support The Food Bank as it recovers from the devastating ice storms.”

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To learn more, contact Lindsey Neddenriep at (417) 865-3411.