Check Out Hunger – 30th Anniversary

This year marks the 30^th year that Foodlink and Wegmans have partnered for the annual Check Out Hunger campaign. The campaign begins Wednesday, October 25th, at 21 Rochester-area stores – and runs in conjunction with other Wegmans campaigns that support food banks up and down the East Coast.

The fundraiser provides critical assistance for Foodlink, the regional food bank and public health organization committed to ending hunger and building healthier communities. The point-of-sale campaign allows Wegmans shoppers to donate a few dollars – or simply round up their grocery bill – while checking out at their local store. New this year, shoppers will have another opportunity to donate. On every receipt, customers will find a QR code that will direct them to a page where they can make an online donation.

Back in 1993, a conversation between Foodlink founder Tom Ferraro and Mary Ellen Burris, Wegmans’ Director of Consumer Affairs, helped launch in Rochester what later became a store-wide initiative. Wegmans officials have noted that even in challenging times – namely the recession and pandemic years of 2009 and 2020, respectively, shoppers have given in record amounts. Over the course of 30 years, the campaign has raised more than $14.5 million.

Read more about the history of the campaign here: https://www.wegmans.com/news-media/articles/30-years-of-check-out-hunger/

This year’s campaign begins Oct. 25 and runs through Nov. 29.