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