Fitness enthusiasts help fight child hunger in Bozeman

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Attendees of the MTNTough ToughFest in Bozeman spent Thursday getting fit, having fun and packing up over 6,000 meals for local children experiencing hunger.

“One of every four children goes home during the weekend and doesn’t have a meal,” said Eric McCormack, a trainer for MTN OPS. “So we want to provide that meal for the family and for the child, to give them a little hope and encouragement.”

Salt Lake City-based fitness company MTN OPS donated the food to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank as part of their Conquer Hunger initiative. The program was started by the company’s CEO, Trevor Farnes, 10 years ago, inspired by his own family’s struggles with hunger. To date, they’ve donated approximately 6 million meals to communities around the country.

“My favorite thing about conquering hunger is the community,” said McCormack. “We’re all getting together for a purpose and helping the children.”

This is the second year of the ToughFest in Bozeman, and HRDC’s Food and Nutrition Director, Jill Holder, said Operation Conquer Hunger is making a big difference.

“This is just a huge win. The cost of food is up, having this much volunteer support and community support is really a game-changer,” said Holder.

The meals donated by MTN OPS will support HRDC’s Healthy KidsPack program, which sends nonperishable foods such as microwavable meals, snacks and drinks home over the weekends with school-aged children who are experiencing food insecurity.

These children are identified by school counselors, teachers and family members, and Holder said the need for the program is on the rise in the Gallatin Valley. The HRDC saw a 68% increase in the number of children receiving nutrition assistance from the Healthy KidsPack program this last academic year, handing out approximately 22,000 packs before school let out for the summer.

And when school is out for the summer, Holder said, that’s an added challenge for those children when they can no longer count on school lunch.

“Our summer lunch program just started up this week,” said Holder. “It’s looking like we’re going to serve anywhere between 300 to 400 lunches, up to 600 when we include breakfast, each day in our community, so it is a big problem.”

According to the Montana Food Bank Network, there are approximately 30,000 children statewide who experience food insecurity.

Once school is back in session in the Gallatin Valley, the meals packed by MTNTough ToughFest volunteers will help keep children fed through November.