“Residents in Maui County, including our valued county employees, are known for giving generously. We are asking everyone who can to donate, so those in need don’t have to make the difficult decisions between food and other necessary expenses,” said Maui County Mayor Arakawa.

WAILUKU — Mayor Alan Arakawa and County Council Chair Danny Mateo last week announced the kickoff of the 2011 Maui Food Bank Food Drive.

Both the mayor and council chairman encourage all county employees and the public to help the food bank replenish its food supply for the needy.

Between March 1 and April 8, various county offices will receive nonperishable food items that are properly packaged and unopened.

Specific items that have been requested are canned meat and tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, canned meals and soup with protein, cereal, rice and pasta.

Bins and boxes for collections will be placed at the various county offices.

Mateo

Monetary donations will also be accepted. Checks may be made payable to Maui Food Bank with a memo that the donation is for the County of Maui Employees Food Drive.

To encourage participation by the departments, a perpetual plaque will be presented to the department, office or station that generates the most donations per employee.

To liven up the food drive, Maui County’s first-ever Food Sculpture Contest will take place on Friday, April 8.

With the food collected during the drive, county employees will be encouraged to create a sculpture and submit their work for judging.

Prizes will be awarded for most creative sculpture and the most items in the sculpture.

For more information about the Food Drive and inaugural Food Sculpture Contest, call Lynn Araki-Regan at 280-1299.