St. Louis-based Sunset Transportation Encourages Canned Good Donations to Scouting for Food to Help Feed Families in the Metro Area

Donated Canned Goods to Be Collected by Boy Scouts on Nov. 19 for St. Louis Families and Children

ST. LOUIS, MO—Thousands of St. Louis area Boy Scouts and volunteers are delivering collection bags to St. Louis area homes this weekend for the largest one-day food drive in America on Nov. 19, 2011. Sunset Transportation, a St. Louis-based third party logistics company, encourages other St. Louis-area businesses to support this important community event. For the past eight years, Sunset has organized a volunteer fleet of more than 50 tractor trailers to transport the more than 2.2 million pounds of collected food.

“We encourage everyone—including businesses and schools—to join together to make this year’s Scouting for Food campaign even more successful. Let’s show our Boy Scouts how generous we can be by donating canned goods for the families in our community,” said Jim Williams, CEO of Sunset Transportation.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, approximately 30,000 Boy Scouts will deliver 1 million bags to houses all over the greater St. Louis area for residents to use as they donate canned goods.

On the following Saturday, Nov. 19, Boy Scouts will return to collect donated canned goods and take them to 46 local fire stations, where Sunset Transportation has organized a volunteer fleet of over 50 tractor trailer trucks to pick up the expected 2.2 million pounds of food and transport it to the St. Louis Food Bank. The donated food will then be distributed throughout St. Louis to feed the hungry for several months.

“The strain on the St. Louis Area Foodbank’s network of pantries is reaching an all-time high,” said Frank Finnegan, president and CEO of the St. Louis Area Foodbank. “This community has continually stepped up to make the Scouting for Food drive not only the largest in the nation, but one that hundreds of local food pantries depend on to stock the shelves during the holidays and the onset of winter. I know the food pantries are counting on this year being the most successful drive yet.”

Sunset Transportation began handling logistics for Scouting for Food eight years ago when the U.S. Army was deployed to Iraq and could no longer provide transportation and logistics support for the Boy Scouts. This year, Sunset will transport more than 50 truckloads of food in cooperation with dozens of truck drivers who donate their time, use their own trucks, and pay for their own fuel.

• Video: Watch the a time lapse video that documents the incredible team work that enables thousands of volunteers to collect 2.2 million pounds of food in only nine hours.
• Information: Read FAQs on Scouting for Food.
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• Access the MS Word version of this release

About Sunset Transportation

Sunset Transportation (http://onthemove.sunsettrans.com), headquartered in St. Louis, is a leader in third party logistics (3PL) as well as freight audit and payment through its division, Sunset Financial. With more than 20 years of experience, Sunset is a growing regional leader with expertise in truckload, less than truckload, international, freight audit and payment and supply chain solutions. Sunset helps companies save on transportation costs by enhancing processes and maximizing resources.

About the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America

The Greater St. Louis Area Council (www.stlbsa.org), Boy Scouts of America is the foremost youth-serving organization in our community that develops character, citizenship and fitness. The Council serves more than 60,000 young people in 37 counties in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois.

About the St. Louis Area Foodbank

The St. Louis Area Foodbank (www.stlfoodbank.org) has grown to become the Bi-State region’s largest non-profit 501(c)(3) food distribution center dedicated to feeding those in need. In 2010, the St. Louis Area Foodbank distributed over 23 million pounds of food received from food companies and grocery stores, the USDA, Feeding America, and community food drives organized by area businesses, groups, and individuals.

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