IMS teaming up with Gleaners Food Bank

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana are joining forces to support Gleaners’ No One Runs On Empty awareness campaign. The campaign, which was launched in July, highlights advocacy and volunteerism, and encourages financial support for Gleaners’ hunger relief programs.

IMS says promotional materials at the Speedway and around central Indiana will be used to encourage fans to donate to Gleaners. IMS is planning to host two community food distribution events with Gleaners later this year.

“IMS always has looked beyond its gates to help the Central Indiana community, so this partnership with Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana is an ideal extension of that mission,” IMS President Douglas Boles said. “Gleaners tirelessly works to provide meals for hungry Hoosiers, a need that has become even more acute during these challenging times. We’re honored to help, and we encourage all race fans to donate to Gleaners as often as possible.”

The campaign is supported by the Anthem Foundation in Indianapolis. Anthem’s $1 million challenge aims to encourage community giving. IMS says Gleaners is about halfway to that goal and hopes to reach it by the end of the year.

“For the past seven months, Gleaners has been in the midst of an extraordinary effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Joseph Slater, chief operations and financial officer of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. “Since March, we’ve been distributing approximately 1.5 million meals each week. Some distributions, such as the Mega Fresh Mobile hosted by IMS last Memorial Day, have served nearly 5,000 families in one day.

IMS says an estimated 1.5 to 2 million Hoosiers face food insecurity, a number that has increased from one million prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Marion County experienced the biggest increase among the 21 Indiana counties served by Gleaners.