Sun Bowl Association And FirstLight FCU Team

With West Texas Food Bank For A Food Drive 

EL PASO, Texas (November 9, 2006) – The Sun Bowl Association, FirstLight Federal Credit Union and the West Texas Food Bank have teamed together to institute one the largest can food drives in the region.

The trio will institute the food drive on Thursday, Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving Day) at the 70th Annual FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade. The parade route runs along Montana Avenue from Ochoa Street to Copia Street.

“We had 350,000 fans in attendance at the Parade last year to set a new attendance record,” said Linda East, Sun Bowl Association president-elect. “If we had each person bring in one can good, just think of the number of people that we could help. We are really excited about this partnership, because the Parade is about the community and this partnership with FirstLight and the West Texas Food Bank is also about giving back to the community.”

Persons wishing to help with the food drive can bring their donations to the Sun Bowl Association offices at 4150 Pinnacle Street or at any FirstLight Federal Credit Union branch in El Paso and Las Cruces. Donations can also be delivered to the West Texas Food Bank at 3727 Shell Street.

“FirstLight Federal Credit Union is glad to sponsor the Sun Bowl parade again this year. We are proud members of the El Paso and Las Cruces communities,” said Brian Cedergren, executive vice president of FirstLight Federal Credit Union. “It gives us a great deal of gratitude to be able to support these communities and those families in need through this year’s food drive.”

November and December are the two months when the West Texas Food Bank has its highest need.

“West Texas Food Bank is very grateful for the opportunity we have to provide the El Paso community with food assistance year-round,” said Elizabeth Ann Wallace, West Texas Food Bank food operations specialist. “The additional support offered by the Sun Bowl Parade and FirstLight Federal Credit Union is so important because it comes when demand for assistance is the highest.”

The West Texas Food Bank annually serves 117,000 people in the 22 counties of West Texas. America’s Second Harvest, the sponsor of the food bank networks across the U.S., indicates that more than two million people are assisted in the State of Texas each year and 25 million people are provided assistance from food banks nationwide.

“While many families will have leftovers from their holiday feasts, thousands of El Pasoans will have barely enough to eat,” added Wallace. “The Food Drive during the Sun Bowl Parade will go a long way to correct the imbalance.”

With such a captive audience, Sun Bowl Association special events director Joe Daubach feels that this is a perfect way to combat hunger during the holiday season. “When you think about how many people have had their lives affected by the parade in one way or another over the years, how great would help others this holiday season?”

The FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade schedule for Thanksgiving Day will be led by 2006 Grand Marshal Brut Racing Funny Car Driver Ron Capps.

Capps becomes the 11th sports figure to serve as Grand Marshal of the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade, joining a group that includes sports icons Don Haskins, Bobby Dobbs, Lee Trevino, Mickey Mantle and Don Maynard.

Capps and the Brut Racing Dodge Charger will be at the FirstLight Federal Credit Union branch at 9993 Kenworthy in El Paso from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22. Capps will be signing autographs and taking pictures with fans the day before the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade.

The 70th FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade is Thursday, Nov. 23 at 10 a.m. The parade runs along Montana Avenue beginning at Ochoa Street and ending at Copia Street. Review Stand tickets for the parade can be purchased at any FirstLight Federal Credit Union branch office, Good Time store location or at the Sun Bowl Association office. This year’s parade theme is “America’s Decades.”

FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade

Food Drive Drop Off Locations

FirstLight Federal Credit Union Locations

Del Rey Branch
3105 Del Rey Blvd.
Las Cruces, NM 88012

Foster Branch
300 East Foster Road
Las Cruces, NM 88005

William Beaumont
Army Medical Center Branch
5005 N. Piedras
El Paso, TX 79920

Kenworthy Branch
9993 Kenworthy
El Paso, TX 79924

Lee Trevino Branch
1555 N. Lee Trevino
El Paso, TX 79936

Marshall Branch
1741 Marshall Rd.
El Paso, TX 79906

Sun Bowl Association
4150 Pinnacle Street, Suite 100
El Paso, Texas 79902-1019
(915) 533-4416

West Texas Food Bank
3727 Shell
El Paso, TX 79925
(915) 595-1060

El Paso County Hunger Relief Partners

The West Texas Food Bank is provided with assistance from these hunger relief partner agencies in El Paso County:

Abundant Living Faith Center 
Amigo Kidney Foundation 
Anthony United Methodist 
Apostolic Assembly of Faith 
AYUDA-Adult & Youth Dev. 
Bethel Temple Assembly of God 
Boys & Girls Club of El Paso 
Centro de Salud Familia la Fe 
Centro Nueva Vida Iglesia 
Christ Miracle Church-Mission 
Christian Schools of El Paso 
Church on The Street 
Dame La Mano 
Desert View Valley Food Pantry 
Dismas Charities, Inc. 
E P Area Foster Parent Assoc. 
El Paso Children’s Day Care 
El Paso Families First 
El Paso Hispanic Four Square 
El Paso Junior Academy 
Emmanuel United Methodist 
EP Center Against Family Violence 
EP Ctr Against Family Violence 
Exciting Immanuel Baptist Church 
Father Yermo Convent 
Good News Apostolic 
Harvest Medical Ministries 
Highland Food Cupboard 
Holy Light Church of God 
Hospice of El Paso 
Houchen Community Center 
Iglesia Apostolica De La Fe 
Iglesia Fuente De Vida 
International AIDS Empowerment 
Junior Enlisted Fam. CTR-YMCA 
Knights of Columbus 
La Familia Del Paso, Inc. 
La Posada Home, Inc. 
Ladies of Charity 
Meraz Spanish Seventh Day 
Ministerio En Victoria 
Mission Getsemani 
Montwood Church of Christ 
NEW Hope Apostlic Church 
New Life Home, Inc. 
Opportunity Center 
Paso Del Norte 
Phillips Chapel CME Church 
Primera Iglesia Hispana De Naz 
Region 19 ESC Migrant Education 
Rescue Mission of El Paso 
RESCUE MISSON 
Reynolds House Nonprofit 
Rose of Sharon Church-El Paso 
Sacred Heart Church 
Salvation Army of El Paso 
San Antonio De Padua Church 
Santa Lucia Church 
Shalom Christian Church 
Smyrna Seventh Day Adventist 
Society of St Vincent De Paul 
St. James-Myrtle UMC 
That Marvelous Light Baptist 
The Word of The World, Inc. 
Trinity Recovery Center-EP 
Trinity-First United Methodist 
Victory in Jesus, Inc. 
Victory Ministry 
Vineyard Christian Fellowship 
Vista Hills Baptist Church 
White Acres Good Samaritan 
World Mission Society 
World Victory Center 
Ysleta Lutheran Mission 
Zoe Abundant Life/Foundation