Rock 102 Stuff the Bus campaign collects more than 17,000 pounds of food

Rock 102 stuffed two buses on Wednesday.

The 19th annual Rock 102 Stuff the Bus campaign collected two busloads of food — a total of 17,317 pounds — and raised a record $66,219 for the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre.

“We are incredibly grateful to each and every community member who contributed to Stuff the Bus,” Laurie O’Connor, the food bank’s executive director, said in a media release. “Your support ensures that families in Saskatoon have access to the nutritious food they need, especially during challenging times.”

More than 17,000 pounds of food were donated to the Rock 102 Stuff the Bus campaign. (Heather Bonynge/Submitted)

The Stuff the Bus campaign was launched in 2005 to help the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre stock its shelves.

More than 17,000 pounds of food were donated to the Rock 102 Stuff the Bus campaign. (Heather Bonynge/Submitted)

According to the media release, Saskatoon Transit operator Eroca Pellerin had a vision back then to fill a city bus with groceries to be donated to the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre — and a tradition was born.

Since its inception, the Rock 102 Stuff the Bus campaign has collected more than 537,000 pounds of food and raised more than $574,000 for the food bank.

“The impact of Stuff the Bus goes beyond the numbers,” O’Connor said in the release. “It represents the spirit of Saskatoon — of neighbours helping neighbours, of coming together in times of need, and of creating a stronger, more connected community.”

Rock 102 is the sister station of 650 CKOM.