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PITTSTON TWP. — United Way of Wyoming Valley’s Christmas in July Drive for the Feeding and Reading Competition closed Friday with a weigh-in at the CEO/Weinberg Food Bank in the Center Point Commerce Park.

Employees at 53 area businesses, industries, schools and other organizations spent the month of July holding food drives at their locations for the Food Bank, or raising dollars to support the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which provides free, high quality books to children from birth to age 5 to promote early learning and family reading. On Friday, the organizations dropped off their collections that were weighed or totaled.

Here are the top donors:

• Feeding drive total: 20,146 pounds (All food is donated to the CEO Weinberg Food Bank).

1st Place: Trion Industries, 5,703 pounds

2nd Place: Benco Dental, 4,789 pounds

3rd Place: UGI Utilities, Inc., 2,716 pounds

• Reading drive total: $26,644 (All donations provide free enrollments for children in United Way of Wyoming Valley’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library).

1st Place: Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance, $11,300

2nd Place: Navient, $7,205

3rd Place: Benco Dental, $7,088

The Christmas in July Food Drive Competition started in 1989 as a way to reduce the “summer slump” in donations to area food banks. Since that time, more than 1.5 million lbs. of food have been collected to feed the hungry in the Wyoming Valley. The reading component was added in 2016.

The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank is located at 185 Research Drive in Pittston.

United Way of Wyoming Valley President and CEO Bill Jones carries a pallet for food donations at the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Township on Friday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_FOOD-B-ANK-4.jpg.optimal.jpgUnited Way of Wyoming Valley President and CEO Bill Jones carries a pallet for food donations at the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Township on Friday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

Representatives from UGI, Kyle Davis, right, and Andrew Stremel, unload food donations from their pickup truck at the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Township on Friday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_FOOD-BANK-1.jpg.optimal.jpgRepresentatives from UGI, Kyle Davis, right, and Andrew Stremel, unload food donations from their pickup truck at the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Township on Friday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

United Way of Wyoming Valley President and CEO Bill Jones, right, assists representatives from UGI in unloading food donations at the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Township on Friday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_FOOD-BANK-2.jpg.optimal.jpgUnited Way of Wyoming Valley President and CEO Bill Jones, right, assists representatives from UGI in unloading food donations at the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank in Pittston Township on Friday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader

CEO Weinberg Food Bank Marketing Director Amanda Brueckler carries food donation barrels at the facility in Pittston Township on Friday.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_FOOD-BANK-3.jpg.optimal.jpgCEO Weinberg Food Bank Marketing Director Amanda Brueckler carries food donation barrels at the facility in Pittston Township on Friday. Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader
United Way program draws donations from 53 area groups

Staff Report