Volunteers assembled 6,000 food packs for Davis County school students on Saturday, Aug. 8, finishing the job an hour ahead of schedule at the Bountiful Food Pantry's second annual Pantry Packs in the Park event.

Assembly lines of community members, many of them kids working alongside their parents, moved through the packing stations so quickly that organizers were caught off guard. Executive director Rebekah Anderson said the group beat expectations by at least an hour.

"We had so much support from the community and of course our amazing sponsors," Anderson said. "Those sponsors helped pay for the food we used to build those packets, which will go to good use as the new school year begins."

Each pack contains two meals, two breakfasts and a drink. The Bountiful Food Pantry and Davis School District distribute nearly 4,000 packs per week during the school year to students who might otherwise go hungry over the weekend. According to the pantry's website, 27% of Davis School District students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The program has grown fast. In a January 2024 Fox 13 report, Anderson said distribution had climbed roughly 30% each year, from 95,000 packs one year to 114,000 the next. The program launched in 2012 with 155 packs a week at three schools and had expanded to 3,500 a week at 80 schools by early 2024.

Corporate sponsors for the Aug. 8 event included Young Caring for Our Young (part of the Young Automotive Group), Mtn. Ops, AAA and Totally Hitched Events, which provided free drinks to participants. KSL Newsradio and FM100 broadcast live from the park, according to the Davis Journal.

Anderson said participants have already expressed interest in returning next year, and organizers are considering raising the pack goal for a third annual event.

Residents who want to support the Pantry Packs program can donate or learn about volunteer opportunities at bountifulfoodpantry.org/donate/pantry-packs.