Fareway News Feed

400 dozen ears of Iowa sweet corn delivered to National Guard soldiers at Camp Shelby

ContactUs@farewaystores.com — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 CST

400 dozen ears of Iowa sweet corn delivered to National Guard soldiers at Camp Shelby

by O. Kay Henderson on September 2, 2010

in Agriculture,Business & Economy,Military,Politics & Government

Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley husks sweet corn with Iowa Guard soldiers.

Thousands of ears of sweet corn were delivered to the Army base in Mississippi where Iowa National Guard troops are training before heading off to duty in Afghanistan.

Congressman Bruce Braley of Waterloo arranged to have 400 dozen ears of Iowa sweet corn delivered there yesterday so the Iowa soldiers could have one more taste of Iowa before they deploy.

“I grew up in Iowa loving sweet corn and watching the huge amount that was delivered down here makes me very hungry for dinnertime,” Braley said during a telephone interview with Radio Iowa.

Braley got the idea while visiting Iraq with a congressman from Mississippi this past December. Braley participated in “Operation Gumbo Drop” which involved the two congressmen helping to serve 7500 pounds of gumbo and shrimp to Mississippi National Guard soldiers on duty at a base north of Baghdad.

“That’s when I decided if I ever had the opportunity, I wanted to do something similar for the Iowa National Guard,” Braley said. “My office staff worked with a group of great Iowans to help put this all together.”

Congressman Bruce Braley and Fred Greiner, president & COO of Fareway Stores

Fareway Stores donated a truck and the truck’s driver donated his time to drive the sweet corn south. The Iowa Farm Bureau, several eastern Iowa veterans organizations as well as individual Iowans contributed corn, some melons and money to the effort.

“So it’s just a great example of Iowans working together to try to provide a little taste of Iowa for some brave men and women who deserve a little tasty treat,” Braley said.

Braley spoke with Radio Iowa at about a quarter ’til four yesterday afternoon — and he was heading back to the “mess” to help prepare for the evening’s sweet corn feed. “I personally was involved in husking a large amount of sweet corn and there’s still a lot more to be husked before dinner time,” Braley said, with a laugh.

About three dozen Iowa business owners were at the camp, too, part of a delegation flown there by the military.

Iowa Business Council executive director Elliott Smith was among the group that arrived at Camp Shelby on Tuesday. ”It’s really a remarkable experience,” Smith said during a telephone interview.

”We’ve seen how they handle check-points, how they deal with local Afghans. They actually have native Afghans here speaking the language to really simulate, as closely as possible, the encounters they’ll have with villagers and elders.”

The Iowa Business Council’s executive director, along with nearly 40 Iowa business owners, made a 36-hour trip, and got back to Iowa yesterday. “We’ve all been hugely impressed with just the rigor and the enthusiasm and the motivation here,” Smith said about an hour before the Iowans left Camp Shelby. “They’re doing a great job.”

Some of the business owners on the trip have workers who are on leave from their job because they’ve been called to active duty. “Actually some folks came down here with lists of employees or even family members that are down here right now training and we’ve been crossing paths with them periodically,” Smith said. “It’s been fun to watch the reaction when we find people we know.”

Almost 3000 Iowa National Guard soldiers are at Camp Shelby, then they’ll ship out to a base in California before leaving for Afghanistan.

Braley’s office released a list of businesses, organizations and individuals who helped make the shipment of corn and watermelon possible. It includes:
· Iowa Farm Bureau
· John Chidester
· Ray and Michelle Christenson, Grimes Sweet Corn
· Fred Greiner, Fareway Foods
· Mike Penick
· Greg and Polly Rinehart
· Mark and Cindy Westrum, Westrum Produce
· Capitol City Fruit in Des Moines
· Rock Island Arsenal Chapter of the Association of the US Army
· Dubuque American Legion Post 6
· Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 776 in the Quad Cities
· Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter in Cherokee, Iowa
· American Legion Post 26 in Davenport, Iowa

Photos courtesy of Congressman Bruce Braley’s office. Article Courtesy of RadioIowa. http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/09/02/400-dozen-ears-of-iowa-sweet-corn-delivered-to-camp-shelby/

Mescher Wins Iowa Best Bagger Contest by Slimmest of Margins

ContactUs@farewaystores.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 CST

One point. That’s all that separated Tim Hannan and Jeremy Mescher at the end of the 2010 Iowa Best Bagger Contest.
And it was that single point that determined which of the Fareway Stores employees would be crowned champion of the 23rd annual competition August 13 at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.

“This may have been the closest contest we’ve had in the history of the Iowa Best Bagger Contest,” said Jerry Fleagle, president of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, which hosts the event. “Our scorers calculated the numbers two and three times just to make sure the math was correct. It was that close.”

Hannan and Mescher mirrored each other throughout the competition, particularly in the two championship heats. Their times where nearly identical – only 0.68 seconds separated their two championship round times – and their weight distribution and style were equally impressive, aside from a couple points.

When all the judging was complete and points were totaled, it was Mescher who was pronounced the winner.

“It’s just kind of disbelief to start with and then excitement,” said Mescher, who placed third in the 2008 competition. “Two years ago, I struggled with one of the plastic sacks that didn’t want to open. So I was just trying to make sure I had everything in order as far as the sacks coming out right and getting everything in there as fast as possible.”

Mescher, an employee at the Fareway store in Spirit Lake, earned a first place prize of $500 cash. He will now represent the state of Iowa at the 2011 National Best Bagger Contest in Las Vegas in February, with a chance to win an additional $10,000. The 25-year-old Dyersville native will attempt to become the sixth Iowan to win a national championship and first since 2000. All five previous national winners were also Fareway employees

“You can prepare for it as much as you want. But, in the end, you just do the best you can do,” Mescher said. “One of my friends (Brian Beneke) was the one who won two years ago, so I’m sure I’ll be talking with him to see how everything goes, what the emotions are like and how everything progresses there.”

Hannan has now placed in the last three Iowa Best Bagger Contests. The 41-year-old, who currently works at the Fareway on S.E. 22nd Street in Des Moines, took second in front of Mescher in 2008 and finished third in last year’s competition. He was awarded a second place prize of $250.

Rounding out the finalists were Kyle Hovden (third), Kelly Anderson (fourth) and Karla Quant (fifth). Hovden, of the Fareway in Boone, walked away with $150 one year after earning second place. Anderson and Quant, who both work for Hy-Vee in Des Moines and Windsor Heights, respectively, were each awarded $100 for making it to the championship round.

A total of 18 individuals took part in the annual event, which was celebrating its 23rd anniversary. Contestants bagged identical grocery orders consisting of approximately 40 commonly purchased items into three plastic grocery bags. They were scored and ranked primarily on speed and weight distribution between bags, but individual style and proper item arrangement were also taken into account.

Reusable bags were used this year in the Iowa Best Bagger Contest for the second time. They were incorporated into the final, which was expanded from one heat to two – one with plastic bags and one with reusables.

The event was sponsored by the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, National Grocers Association, Coca-Cola North America, Midwest Packaging/Hilex Poly, Roberts Dairy, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Cookies Food Products and City Carton Recycling.

All the non-perishable food items used in the competition were donated to the Food Bank of Iowa in Des Moines.

Article courtesy of the Iowa Grocery Industry Association: http://www.iowagrocers.com/news.cfm?Article=202

Fareway's Best Baggers!

ContactUs@farewaystores.com — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 CST

Congratulations to the Fareway employees who competed in the 2010 State Sacking competition!

After competing at the regional trials, 6 Iowa employees were allowed to continue to the state level:

Kyle Hovden
Chad Hinz
Luke Swehla
Jeremy Mescher
Tim Hannan
Stephen Hoffman

The Iowa competition was held at the Iowa State Fair on Friday, August 13, 2010. Employees from Fareway, Hy-vee, Dahls and Pioneer faced off in a competition designed to test their grocery-bagging skills in a number of categories.Competitors are judged on speed, weight distribution and style for their skills with plastic bags and the environmentally friendly re-usable bags.

Fareway is proud to announce winners for all top three places!

3rd Place: Kyle Hovden
2nd Place: Tim Hannan
1st Place: Jeremy Mescher

First place winner Jeremy Mescher received $750 and an expense-paid trip to Las Vegas to represent Fareway at the 2010 National Sacking Contest!

Fareway would also like to congratulate Mary Jurries from Minnesota on her 2nd Place win at the Minnesota State Bagging Contest on Saturday, August 14, 2010. The event was held at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN. Mary also received a “Style” award for her efforts, as well as several trophies.

Please check back soon for photos and video clips from the 2010 competition!

Scouts Plan Lunch Benefit at Fareway

ContactUs@farewaystores.com — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CST

News :: Scouts plan lunch benefit for Caleb Stewart, July 31 at Fareway
By Vinton Today · 2:53pm July 20th, 2010
Vinton —

There will be an All-Scouts Benefit Cookout to raise money for the Caleb Stewart family.

The event takes place from 11 a.m.to 2 p.m.Saturday, July 31, in the Fareway parking lot in Vinton.

Cost is $5 per plate, which includes: grilled meat sandwich, side, dessert, and drink

As many know, Caleb is a Troop 47 Boy Scout (and former Pack 47 Cub) battling cancer and the costs to fight it.

The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts will be lending a hand for this event. Flyers are being posted at many key locations around town, and a message will begin rolling on the Farmers Savings Bank message board on Friday, July 23. Donations of supplies, etc have been secured from various area businesses, and Scout leaders are working on more.

Many Boy and Girl Scouts will be volunteering that day.

For more information, contact Gregg Sampson at 472-9634or via email at gsamdsam@fmtcswb.com

Article Courtesy of Vinton Today: http://www.vintoniowa.org/articles/News/article101167.html

Food Drive Benefits Center for Siouxland

ContactUs@farewaystores.com — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 CST

Food drive to benefit Center for Siouxland

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Posted: Friday, July 9, 2010 4:00 am | No Comments Posted

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SIOUX CITY -- Fareway stores in Sioux City and Sergeant Bluff will host a food drive to support the nonprofit Center for Siouxland food pantry from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday.

Non-perishable items -- including spaghetti, pasta, peanut butter, jelly, canned fruit, tuna and more -- will be accepted. The items will be used to stock the food pantry that assists about 250 people in Siouxland each month.

Fareway stores participating include the locations at 2328 Transit Ave., 4016 Indian Hills Drive and 404 War Eagle Drive in Sioux City and 700 Ist St. in Sergeant Bluff. For more information, visit centerforsiouxland.org.

Article courtesy of Sioux City Journal.com: http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_2ee36d0e-7a56-5253-aa35-0bbb7dc89bec.html

Local Fareway & Pepsi Grant Recipient

ContactUs@farewaystores.com — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 00:00:00 CST

PEPSI AND FAREWAY ANNOUNCE LOCAL RECIPIENT OF

PEPSI GRANT

-Youth & Shelter Services, Inc. Awarded $15,000 Grant

To help Upgrade the Rosedale Shelter Facility-

Boone, IA – April 12, 2010 – Fareway Stores, Inc. and Pepsi announced today that Youth & Shelter Services servicing youth and families in Iowa is the recipient of a $15,000 grant to help replace the roof of the Rosedale Shelter. This grant is a local extension of The Pepsi Refresh Project, a groundbreaking effort that funds ideas, big and small, that can refresh the world. In 2010, Pepsi is awarding more than $20 million to ideas that will move the world forward. Anyone can submit an idea at www.RefreshEverything.com and each month the public decides who wins.

Fareway Stores, Inc. agreed that Youth & Shelter Services, Inc. providing invaluable services for our youth throughout Iowa is compelling: Each year, more than 7,000 youth are impacted through the opportunities YSS offers. YSS exists to provide prevention, education, treatment and residential services to children, youth, and families: To advocate on their behalf; and to help them solve problems, grow, and be self sufficient, responsible, contributing members of society.

The Rosedale Shelter is an emergency shelter for male and female youth. The shelter is a home-like environment, located in Ames IA providing safe shelter for at-risk youth where intensive counseling is provided with a goal returning to their family home within 30 days. The facility currently has 5,074 square feet of usable space. In order to assure that this service remains available, it is necessary to maintain and upgrade the shelter facility. The existing roof is almost 20 years old and in need of replacement.

“The Pepsi Grant allows increased awareness of and support for youth issues in our communities. Youth & Shelter Services, our recipient, is a great example of how an organization staffed by people from every walk of life can create positive change,” said Fareway Executive Jeff Stearns.