SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Shelby Green, herd manager from Coldsprings Farm, New Windsor, Md., and Maryland Dairy Princess Ellie Feaga joined ADA North East and the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) to kick off the Great American Milk Drive™ at a Safeway retail store in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 8.
Shoppers are asked to make a cash donation at checkout in one of Safeway’s 113 stores that will be used by local food banks through Feeding America® to buy milk for families in need. Last year’s Safeway Great American Milk Drive raised nearly $400,000 to get about 96,000 gallons of milk to local families.
“I always enjoy being a part of events like this to connect with communities and retailers,” said Green. “It’s a great way to remind consumers where their food comes from and reinforces what we do on the farm, and also why we love doing what we do to help feed local families.”
Green also participated in a “milk relay race” for a media event at the kickoff, where she competed against former Washington Football Team player Tim Hightower and a cow mascot. Hightower participated through the Fuel Up to Play 60 partnership with the National Football League, to encourage shoppers to support the Great American Milk Drive.
American Dairy Association North East has engaged other retailers to focus on providing milk for consumers in need during National Dairy Month. Matt Hoff, owner of Coldsprings Farm, also supports dairy checkoff’s efforts to get milk to local families. He can be seen in a video in 23 Shoppers Food & Pharmacy stores to promote the Fill a Glass with Hope® campaign.
Fill a Glass of Hope was initiated in 2015 by Pennsylvania dairy farmers in partnership ADA North East, PA Dairymen’s Association and Feeding Pennsylvania. More than 21 million servings of milk have been distributed in Pennsylvania to-date. ADA North East also expanded the program into New York in last year, and New York dairy princesses raised $7,270 to contribute to the campaign.
In addition, ADA North East president and dairy farmer Audrey Donahoe from ATRASS Farm, Clayville, N.Y., will participate in a live Q&A session on Facebook with Price Chopper Fill in a Fill a Glass with Hope campaign in 133 stores. In 196 Weis Markets stores, consumers will hear a public service announcement encouraging shoppers to donate from dairy farmer Amanda Condo of Paul R. Dotterer and Sons Dairy, Mill Hall, Pa.
“Dairy farmers’ support of these hunger relief programs demonstrates their commitment to ensuring all families have access to the safe, nutritious product they produce every day,” said ADA North East CEO Rick Naczi.
For more information about ADA North East’s hunger relief programs, visit AmericanDairy.com, or call 315.472.9143.
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Photo caption: Dairy farmer Shelby Green from Coldsprings Farm in New Windsor, Md., Maryland Dairy Princess Ellie Feaga, and former Washington Football Team player Tim Hightower participate in a media event to kick off the Great American Milk Drive in a Washington, D.C., Safeway retail store.
About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing nearly 10,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com.
