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SALT LAKE CITY -- Checks were handed over to the Utah Food Bank and seven other organizations by Walmart just after noon Thursday at the state capitol.
The money is for winning the company's online "Fighting Hunger Together" competition on Facebook in December.
"Today, we kick off the celebration!" Walmart regional general manager Karisa Sprague said to a large crowd of community leaders, reporters, photographers and workers from the various groups.
Gov. Gary Herbert praised Walmart for the contributions, and community members for helping to do their part.
"I think it's indicative of Utah and Utah's spirit -- people helping each other and making life better as we're able to contribute," Herbert said.
Salt Lake City bested the competition with more than 5.3 million votes.
So where will the money be going? According to the Utah Food Bank, the answer to that question may be a bit surprising.
Walmart presented the $1 million check to eight organizations that help the hungry in Utah. The Utah Food Bank gets the bulk of the money: $700,000. But they're not spending it on food for the needy.
The Utah Food Bank says infrastructure will make an impact longer than additional food stores. Executives plan to spend $115,000 on a forklift, electric pallet jack and scissor lift. They will spend $356,000 on a semi truck and trailers, a refrigerated box truck, and a multi-use vehicle to visit sites and assist with food drives.
"We are able to expand over the course of a year, with one refrigerator box truck, an additional 9 million pounds of food that would go to waste," said Ginette Bott, chief marketing officer at the Utah Food Bank.
The food bank plans to spend another $229,000 on a sorting room equipment upgrade, an expansion to the individual donor receiving area and more refrigerator and freezer space.
"To get food distributed across the state of Utah, it needs to be done through a means that is effective," Bott said.
The Utah Food Bank is trying to meet rising need. It has been in its new facility on 900 West near 3200 South for 18 months, and workers say the building has helped increase distribution from 19 million pounds of food per year to 31 million pounds of food per year.
Bott said the additions should help the food bank increase production to a projected 40 million pounds of food the next fiscal year. The reach will expand as well.
"It will be great for us to get to San Juan County every other week versus once a month," Bott said.
Herbert said the day was about more than Walmart's $1.1 million.
"All of us need to look outside of ourselves and see where we can contribute," Herbert said.
The following Salt Lake City-based nonprofits will share the grant:
- Catholic Community Services
- Rescue Mission of Salt Lake,
- Saint Andrew Food Pantry
- Salt Lake Community Action Program
- Utah Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program
- Utahns Against Hunger
- Utah Food Bank
In Ogden, Catholic Community Services and the St. Anne's Center will also share a $100,000 grant. The city finished third in the contest with more than 305,000 votes.
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Story written with contributions from Andrew Adams and The Associated Press.
