Connells Maple Lee Flowers & Gifts’ annual food drive collected 175 pounds of non-perishable items to benefit Neighborhood Services Food Pantry in Columbus.
Connells Maple Lee Stems Hunger, as the food drive is known, ran June 27-July 4 at the florist’s stores in Bexley, Powell and Grove City.
Food drive donors received a free carnation for each non-perishable food item they contributed, up to six per visit.
This year’s total tied for third highest in the food drive’s nine-year history. Overall, Connells Maple Lee Stems Hunger has collected nearly 1,500 pounds of non-perishable food.