Share Your Holiday food drive off to a strong start

By 9:30 a.m. this morning, a little shy of four hours into the annual Channel 2 Share Your Holiday food drive in the Carson Valley Inn parking lot, event organizer Len Frueh reported donations already were ahead of last year's for the same time.

He said $9,000 in monetary donations had been collected in the morning and 6,000 pounds of food, all to benefit the Carson Valley Community Food Closet.

Last year, the 12-hour event, which ends at 6 p.m., garnered more than 76,000 pounds of food and roughly $36,000 in monetary donations. Those numbers beat out the Reno donations combined, Frueh said.

"This year we're hearing the friendly chant, 'beat Reno,'" he said. "In this community, nothing is impossible."

Amid the dozens of volunteers working Friday morning, from Douglas High JROTC members to Nevada State Prison officers, there came the sound of a helicopter narrowing in on the parking lot. Gusts of wind signaled the arrival of Santa Claus on the CareFlight copter, spreading smiles throughout the crowd of children gathered from Trinity Lutheran Childcare.

"I'm excited," said 4-year-old Emmie Larson. "This is the first time I've seen him in a helicopter."

Final results of the food drive will be available after 6 p.m.