Local banks donate thousands of items to food pantry

Eight Bismarck banks teamed up to donate more than 62,000 items to the Emergency Food Pantry Tuesday.

The banks collected donations over the last two weeks and unloaded them Tuesday at the pantry. BNC National Bank, Choice Financial, Dakota Community Bank and Trust, First International Bank and Trust, First Western Bank and Trust, Gate City Bank, Security First Bank and Starion Bank all competed to see who could bring in the most items. They collected food as well as household supplies.

"It's very overwhelming, it definitely tugs on your heartstrings and gets you a little emotional,” Heather Heinle with Starion Bank said. “It's just amazing to see the banks come together and bring in all this stuff for our communities."

First International won the competition, donating more than 25,000 items. With today's collection, more than 162,000 items have been donated to the pantry over the last five years.