More than 1,600 attend Geneva’s Northern Illinois Food Bank’s annual fundraiser

More than 1,600 participants, volunteers, sponsors, food trucks and spectators gathered at Cantigny Park in Wheaton May 2 for Geneva-based Northern Illinois Food Bank’s largest 12th Annual Fight Hunger 10K, 5K, and 1-Mile Run/Walk, presented by Aldi, according to a news release.

The event is the largest annual awarenes and fundraising event for the the food bank.

This year’s event marked a major milestone, drawing the highest attendance in its 12-year history.

It raised $305,696.98 from sponsorship, registrations and donations, exceeding the revenue goal and previous years by $23,584.50, food bank spokeswoman Katie Heraty stated in a text.

The event included three race routes, face painting, a kid zone, sponsor booths, free massages, giveaways, a gaming truck, and a variety of food trucks.

US Foods will match all funds raised, doubling the support for neighbors facing hunger, the release stated.

Nearly all – 96% – of Northern Illinois Food Bank’s resources go directly to programs that feed people who face food insecurity.

The food bank serves 13 counties in Northern Illinois, Kane, Boone, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee,Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago.

Northern Illinois Food Bank’s network of 900 food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, senior sites and feeding programs serve 570,000 people a month and provide 90 million meals a year to neighbors facing hunger in suburban and rural Northern Illinois.