T riders set record in cans donated on Ride for a Can Day to benefit Food Bank
FORT WORTH (July 30, 2007) – Passengers carried thousands of cans onto Fort Worth Transportation Authority buses on July 26, setting a record in collections for the T’s annual Ride for a Can Day that benefits Tarrant Area Food Bank.
Bus operators delivered a record 4,810 pounds, or more than 2.5 tons of canned food. Donations from passengers and employees in exchange for a free ride was the equivalent of 5,500 cans of food. This was a 43 percent increase from The T’s previous Ride for a Can Day.
A record 3,348 pounds of canned food were collected by bus operators, surpassing last year’s donations by 21 percent. T drivers accepted the cans from passengers instead of money for their bus rides that day.
One canned good could be redeemed for a one-way bus fare. Two canned goods earned a free local “Day Pass” which could be used for unlimited rides that day on The T buses and Trinity Railway Express (TRE) within Tarrant County.
"We appreciate the generosity of the T’s riders for this important cause, especially around the holidays period,” said Dick Ruddell, president of the T.
The T moved its traditional canned food donation drive from the Thanksgiving period to July at the request of the Food Bank, which said it doesn’t receive as many donations during the summer but needs are just as great, and often greater.
T employees also joined the donation effort by bringing canned goods to work that day. Canned goods were collected at T offices, at The Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) and on each bus.
For more information about the T visit www.the-t.com or call 817-215-8600.
