A new tradition may have begun on June 21 when the Bountiful Food Pantry held its first Pantry Packs in the Park event. Held in Bountiful City Park, it brought together volunteers and family members in the community to assemble the packs of food that are given to students in Davis County who face hunger.

Co-sponsored and largely funded through the generosity of the Young Automotive Group, the event included live remote radio broadcasts from the KSL Greenhouse Show and FM 100. There were games for children to play, face painting, balloon creations by Sammy “T” Clown, food trucks, a small railroad for kids to take rides around the parking lot, cotton candy and popcorn.

“Pantry packs are one of the most important ways that we prevent hunger in Davis County,” said Rebekah Anderson, executive director of the pantry. “It was great to get community members together to assemble these pantry packs and help the important cause of preventing hunger in our children.”

The pantry packs program continues the pantry’s ongoing mission of providing food for families. During 2024, the pantry distributed more than 2.5 million pounds of food and served more than 93,000 people. Anderson said the need has consistently increased over the past few years, with uncertainty over the economy and job layoffs creating more food insecurity.

She also praised the support from the Young Automotive Foundation, which has long supported the pantry pack program

“Young Automotive is a spectacular partner,” she said. “They do so much for the community, and we’re grateful that they work with us to provide pantry packs for thousands of kids each month.”

The Bountiful City Park event saw nearly 4,000 pantry packs assembled by community members. Each pack includes two meals, two breakfasts, a drink packet, fruit snacks, granola bars, crackers and a fruit pouch, along with a cheerful “note” expressing love and best wishes for the student getting the pack. The pantry received cash from an anonymous donor to pay for the contents of the packs assembled at the event.

During the 2024-25 school years, the Bountiful Food Pantry distributed 137,580 pantry packs in Davis County Schools, about 4,000 a week. So the park project accounted for a week’s worth of packs for hungry students. About 27 percent of students in the Davis District qualify for free or reduced lunches.

Anderson said all of the participants seemed to enjoy their experiences, and that Pantry officials may decide to hold a similar event next summer.