City Councils compete in boxing match

Arkansas, Texas city officials pack boxes for Harvest

TEXARKANA, Ark. — After competitions involving both population and pies, the two mayors of the Twin Cities decided to compete by food supply boxes on pallets Thursday.

When the Harvest Texarkana Food Bank was 102 food boxes ahead of where it was shortly after 5:30 p.m. Thursday than it had about 30 minutes prior, Texarkana, Arkansas, Mayor Allen Brown’s municipal food backing team slightly edged out Texarkana, Texas, Mayor Bob Bruggeman’s team, 52 to 50 boxes.

So as the First Annual Harvest Texarkana Food Bank Packing competition became one for the history books, both team leaders expressed satisfaction that the city as a whole benefited.

“With 50 boxes, I’m satisfied we came at least within the margin of error,” Bruggeman said. “But this was good for the city as a whole.”

As for Brown, he also felt that a mutual benefit came from the rivalry.

“I’m a little more used to physical competition, but I feel like the entire Texarkana community at large became the real winners and benefactors. Anytime you have a chance to help people, it’s a blessing.”

For 30 minutes, each of the two municipal teams feverishly loaded containers of cereal, rice and other dry goods, along with frozen meats like chicken and pork in to large for eventual public distribution said Harvest Texarkana Development Director Jennifer Teeters.

“Throughout this year, we were able to deliver about 3,000 boxes of food to

local families,” Teeters said. “We had about five mobile pantry set ups this year at the Four States Fairgrounds and other places. We have a staff of about 10 people, but we our sure glad we have about 400 to 600 volunteers helping use each year.”

As for benefiting the local area with needed food supplies in general, Harvest Texarkana Executive Director Camille Wrinkle said food bank managed to deliver about a million more pounds of food to needy residents this year, then it did last year.

“This year we topped the amount of deliveries we did last year, especially to both the homeless and for senior adults who weren’t able to leave their homes to buy food,” Wrinkle said.

Teeters said the next Harvest Texarkana Mobile Food Distribution will be from 8 a.m. to noon Dec. 16 at the Four States Fairgrounds.

Staff photo by Kelsi Brinkmeyer ■ Texarkana, Arkansas city officials race against Texarkana, Texas city officials to pack the most boxes for Harvest Texarkana’s mobile pantry. The Texas-side team came out on top and were named the Harvest Hunger Hero Packing Champions.