NOTE: This event is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5, 10 a.m. at Crest Foods, 2200 W. 15th, Edmond, OK.
Three lucky shoppers at Crest Foods in Edmond will receive free groceries Thursday, Feb. 5 as part of national Food Check-Out Day. The grocery give-away is being sponsored by the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women’s Committee.
“We want to celebrate our farmers’ and ranchers’ skill in producing a safe, high quality, affordable food product,” said Clara Wichert, Fairview, committee chairperson.
At approximately 10 a.m. three shoppers will be randomly chosen for the free groceries as they enter the check-out area. Non-food items, such as tobacco, will not be eligible.
Food Check-Out day marks the day when Americans have earned enough income to pay their food bill for the year. According to the latest statistics compiled by the Agriculture Department, American families and individuals currently spend, on average, just 10 percent of their disposable personal income for food.
“We think it’s incredible that it takes only 36 days to pay for an entire year of groceries,” Wichert said. “Consumers are truly getting a bargain.”
In addition to the grocery give-away, the Farm Bureau women will deliver approximately $1,500 in food products to the Ronald McDonald Houses in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
“These houses provide a home-away-from-home for the families of seriously ill children receiving medical treatment in nearby hospitals,” Wichert said. “We can think of no better way to honor our farmers and ranchers than to help people who need it the most.”
Farm Bureau women throughout the state will be commemorating the day by donating groceries to local food banks and homeless shelters.
Food Check-Out Day is a national event first celebrated in 1997. It is patterned after Tax Freedom Day, the day the average American has earned enough money to pay federal, state and local taxes.
