Elburn mayor, Kane County Agriculture Committee chair to shop for local food pantries

Kane County Agriculture Committee Chair Leslie Juby and Elburn Mayor Jeffrey Walter will be competing in a morning race to collect food to restock the shelves of two area food pantries.

The Kane County Farm Bureau’s 25th annual Shopping Spree will be held at the Batavia Jewel-Osco, Randall Road at Main Street on Monday, Feb. 16. The shopping begins at approximately 10:30 a.m.

The local food pantries these public officials have chosen to represent are the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry of Aurora and the Elburn-Countryside Food Pantry in Elburn, respectively. All of the groceries collected during the 5-plus minute spree will be purchased by the Kane County Farm Bureau and donated to respective organizations.

As the area’s largest agricultural organization, the Farm Bureau sponsors the Shopping Spree each year to call attention to the abundance of fresh and nutritious food at affordable prices.

At less than 10% of disposable income, American household spending on food is less than any other country, and cause for celebration — but the Shopping Spree recognizes that while food is affordable for most, it is a necessity for all — and some are less fortunate.

The Shopping Spree, like the Farm Bureau Foundation’s Harvest for ALL, Million Meal Challenge and 10,000 Gallon Challenge campaigns, encourages local support of hunger relief agencies and neighbors in need.

Through these local initiatives, KCFB members have donated the equivalent of more than 2 million meals to area food pantries. For more information on the Spree or other hunger relief efforts, contact Kane County Farm Bureau at 630-584-8660.