Drive to End Hunger Makes Donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties

With help of four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, effort is fighting hunger among seniors

Fans Invited to See #24 Car at Fontana Event

FONTANA, Calif., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As race fans everywhere prepare for this weekend's Auto Club 400, Drive to End Hunger (DTEH) kicked off the race season this morning with a major donation to Second Harvest Food Bank Serving Riverside & San Bernardino Counties.  Working with Feeding America and Second Harvest Food Bank, DTEH presented the food bank with $10,000 to help feed hungry seniors in the Inland Empire.  Additional donations are being collected today during a special event and food drive at Ralphs in Fontana.

DTEH is an initiative of AARP and AARP Foundation to help the millions of older Americans who are facing hunger across the United States.  As the primary sponsor of Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet, the effort will engage the NASCAR fan base, corporations and charitable organizations via a text-to-donate program; activation at racetracks across the country; further research on the causes and consequences of hunger in older Americans; and an innovative national grant program that will provide resources to address the problem at a local level.

"We're excited to kick off the racing season by making a real difference for seniors around the Daytona area who are struggling to put food on the table," said AARP Foundation President Jo Ann Jenkins. "We are so pleased to work with groups like Feeding America and Second Harvest Food Bank to shed a light on the issue and help address older adult hunger. This donation is just the beginning of what we can accomplish when we harness the power of the NASCAR community and like-minded organizations to solve a problem that millions of older Americans face every day."

"Frankly, some of the most tragic stories we hear locally of people struggling to put food on the table involve our older neighbors," said Daryl Brock, President & CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Riverside.  "Much too often they're forced to choose between food and things like medicine or the roof over their heads. Important partnerships like this one will help provide health and dignity for a lot more seniors this year."

Shoppers in the Inland Empire can see the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet at Ralphs and are encouraged to drop off non-perishable items to donate.  For more information on today's event, visit www.DriveToEndHunger.org.  Donations to Drive to End Hunger can also be made on the web site or by texting "hunger" to 50555 (message and data rates may apply).

UnitedHealth Group and Chase Card Services are proud sponsors of Drive to End Hunger.

AARP Foundation is AARP's affiliated charity.  The Foundation is dedicated to serving vulnerable people 50+ by creating solutions that help them secure the essentials and achieve their best life.  AARP Foundation focuses on:  hunger, housing, income and isolation as our key mission areas.  The Foundation envisions: 'a country free of poverty where no older person feels vulnerable.'  Foundation programs are funded by grants, tax-deductible contributions and AARP.  For more information about AARP Foundation, please log on to www.aarp.org/foundation.

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

SOURCE AARP