The Rotary Clubs of Springfield again donated oranges to the Central Illinois Foodbank as a part of our annual Citrus Sale Fundraiser. Three Rotary Clubs in Springfield participated in this year’s donation of oranges to the Foodbank—our club (the Rotary Club of Springfield), Springfield Sunrise, and Springfield South. The Rotary Clubs allowed Rotarians and their customers to purchase oranges specifically for donation to the Foodbank. This year, Rotary donated 162 40 lb. cartons of oranges—three full pallets with over 20,000 oranges to the Foodbank (image above and lead image). This is Rotary’s second largest donation of oranges to the Foodbank since the Rotary Clubs added the option to buy oranges for them in 2013.
The Central Illinois Food Bank picked up the donated oranges from the Rotary Clubs at our Citrus Warehouse in the Underfanger Moving and Storage Warehouse in Springfield on December 6. Bill Smith, the Rotary Club of Springfield’s Warehouse Manager for the citrus fundraiser, Bonnie Styles, PR Chair for the Rotary Club of Springfield, and Brooke Dunn, PR Manager for the Central Illinois Foodbank were on site for the transfer of the oranges to the Foodbank. Channel 20 News and WAND Television interviewed both Bill (image to left) and Brooke and got footage of the oranges being loaded on the Foodbank trunk (image below). The interviews were featured that evening on news reports for these two stations. 
Bill Smith described the benefits of the program for the Rotary Clubs, the Foodbank, and those in need of food. “It’s a win-win situation all around.” Customers buy nutritious citrus to eat and gift during the holiday season and also purchase oranges for donation to the Central Illinois Foodbank. The Foodbank delivers the oranges to pantries throughout central Illinois that serve those in need. The gift keeps giving because the proceeds from the sale of the citrus by Rotarians, including the oranges purchased for direct donation to the Foodbank, support Rotary community grants that help combat hunger, promote literacy, and meet other community needs.