*UPDATE: Cram A Cruiser collected 61,00 lbs of food and $3,233.35 cash for the food banks it supports.
Some of the pressure that arises every year at this time for food banks across the city was relieved Saturday… when the auxiliary units of both Timmins Police and the OPP staged their annual “Cram A Cruiser” event.
They parked cruisers outside five grocery stores, and accepted cash and non-perishable food items… to help replenish the shelves at the banks.
OPP auxiliary Sergeant Tibor Lesko said he was hearing a lot of good comments from donors.
“They’re all positive,” he says. “They’re all asking how they could help out and asking us who it’s for and we’re saying it’s for the South Porcupine Food Bank, the Timmins Food Bank, First Baptist Church and Project Love.”
Timmins Police auxiliary Sergeant Robert Ferri was impressed with the support from shoppers.
”It’s a good time of year for people to donate, and there’s lots of people in the area who do need the help, so we’re here to help them,” said Ferri.
Lesko, Ferri and their comrades also found the “Cram a Cruiser” event much more comfortable than last year, when it was minus-35 degrees and windy.