The “Clean Out Your Freezers Day” in Winnfield, part of Louisiana’s Hunters for the Hungry efforts, was a success this year, Chet Atkins and Glenn Austin told the Winn Parish Journal this week.

The event was held Sunday, August 18, at Winn’s Farmers Market downtown. “Response was terrific and we thought folks would like to know the results,” said Austin.

“We had a great turnout this year,” added Atkins. “We collected about 10 times what was donated last year. Hunters found 455 pounds of game and fish in their freezers to make a difference in the lives of neighbors by sharing the bounty from the wild in order to combat hunger.”

The state program began in 1994 when a group of Baton Rouge hunters gathered to discuss sharing the game and fish they harvested each year with the needy in the Greater Baton Rouge area. The hunters contacted the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the donations that first year were given to their dining hall.

In following years, the response from hunters was so great that the dining room’s storage was pushed to the limits, and help was enlisted from the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

Since then, Hunters For The Hungry has increased awareness of their program throughout the state by partnering with all 5 major food banks in Louisiana. By conducting multiple programs such as the Clean Out Your Freezer Day and Freshly Harvested Game and Fish Programs, the organization is providing thousands of meals for Louisiana families.

Atkins and Austin are pleased with the local response. “We’re looking forward to next year already,” they say. Hats and stickers were given to donors. All donations benefit the Winn Council on Aging and Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge.