Video: ‘Unite To End Hunger’ Draws Big Crowd

[syndicaster id=’5668507′]

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – The concourse of the BancorpSouth Arena was filled with works of art, all made of canned and boxed food.

For the second year, the United Way of Northeast Mississippi invited businesses and non profits to create food sculptures to raise awareness of food insecurity.

Caterpillar Equipment and the Girl Scouts were among those who created food sculptures.

“There are 250 Cheerio boxes and over a thousand cans behind me, we made our model based off an old school Caterpillar bulldozer,” said Logan Luke, of Caterpillar.

“This is our cookie booth sculpture, so the cans are set up as a cookie booth and we have a giant Samoa box,” said Kidron Young, of the Girl Scouts.

The public had a chance to vote on their favorite work of art.

After the food sculpture displays it was time for the United Way’s annual campaign celebration luncheon next door at the BancorpSouth Conference Center and it was indeed a celebration as 2014 saw record donations, despite a devastating tornado.

“One thing we worried about last year, with the tornado, so much donation effort went to helping people rebuild from the tornado, through United Way and other agencies, that were helping, we thought, maybe the campaign would be down and rightfully so, that would have been completely expected, but what we found that giving was up,” said Robin Matkin, with the United Way of Northeast Mississippi.

In fact, more than $2.5 million was raised.

There was another surprise, as Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi gave out $30,000 to three agencies supported by the United Way.

“It’s part of our Toyota Way, to get involved in the community and help the organizations that are really providing services to people who need it,” said Troy Allen, of TMMMS.

Awards were also given to companies mounting successful fundraising campaigns. Source rdr

The United Way of Northeast Mississippi covers a seven county area.