Community organizations and local businesses got in the holiday spirit this summer with the inaugural Thanksgiving in July food drive for Washington County.

Organized by Mercy Iowa City, United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties and Washington HACAP, from July 8th through the 22nd residents gave food and monetary donations to go directly to the HACAP Food Pantry in Washington and then be distributed to individuals and families in need of assistance throughout Washington County.

Thanksgiving in July Founder Ron Hall comments on the first year of Washington County’s drive, “Well, I think it did well you know the first year is always a tough one because no one is familiar with what you’re talking about. You got to make a lot of those initial first contacts, but we came up with a little over 7,000 pounds. That’s a combination of cash donations and food donations, so right at 3.5 tons and I think that’s a good start.”

Hall says Washington County’s effort compares well with the first drive he organized 20 years ago in Iowa City, which collected six tons of donations. Hall expects the awareness of the drive to grow in the years to come, and hopes to have more visual promotion of the event next year. The KCII Big Red Radio took part in Thanksgiving in July, broadcasting live from several businesses who participated in the drive.