EVERETT – Where has all the food gone?
That’s the quandary Elaine Davis and her co-workers at Pinnacle Financial on Broadway have puzzled over for days now.
It’s food-drive time for the company, which ingeniously leveraged the popularity of Everett’s Silvertips hockey team to bring in, twice a year, enough food to provide meals for several days for each family registered with the Everett Food Bank.
Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald
This year’s drive began with food bins at Haggen supermarkets throughout Snohomish County and will end at this weekend’s Silvertips games. The first 400 fans who donate food each night will receive a free Silvertips-authorized T-shirt.
The first 100 people who make a cash donation will also get a T-shirt, and the shirts also will be sold for $5 each.
But the drive, usually quite successful, hit a setback. When Pinnacle Financial Corp. employees went to collect food from the Haggen bins, the bins were empty. Someone – no one knows who – has been taking the food.
“Hopefully, it’s all going to end up in good hands, but we’ve been talking to the stores, and we don’t know what the problem is,” said Davis. “One store gave us the name of one person who picked some up, but we don’t know for sure what’s going on.
“It’s all being taken,” Davis said.
The situation led Pinnacle Financial to take additional measures. Last weekend, one person stood near each bin to draw attention to the food drive and to watch over the donations. At the end of the day, all the food was collected.
“I was hoping to collect 2,500 pounds, but I’m not sure we’ll hit that benchmark,” said Earl Schmitt, co-owner of the company.
The twice-a-year event was the brainchild of Schmitt and his wife, Michelle. The company was an official Silvertips sponsor under its old name, Irwin Mortgage, and continued the support under its new name.
Early in 2003, the Schmitts realized that if the crowds at Silvertips games worked together, families could benefit.
“We cross-promote the drive, and they’re taking the bull by the horns and running with it,” Silvertips marketing sales manager Mike MacCulloch said. “They wanted to execute an event at our games and tap into our fan base.”
The food drive makes a tremendous difference, Volunteers of America program manager Sandra Maddock said. The Everett Food Bank is part of Volunteers of America. It’s always difficult for charity organizations around the holidays, but this year may be especially challenging because of Hurricane Katrina.
That’s where the Silvertips come in.
“I’m sure having that name really makes a difference,” Maddock said.
Now, Pinnacle Financial hopes donations at the Silvertips games this weekend will make up for the lost food.
“We’re just flabbergasted,” Michelle Schmitt said.
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