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Commissioner O'Grady Makes Friendly Wager on NHL Playoffs with Allegheny County, PA

Friday, April 14, 2017
Contact: Marty Homan, Commissioners, 614/525-5273
Amie M. Downs, Allegheny County, 412/350-3711

Commissioner O'Grady Makes Friendly Wager on NHL Playoffs with Allegheny County, PA

Local Food Banks to Benefit

Franklin County Board of Commissioners President John O’Grady and Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald have engaged in a friendly wager on the outcome of First Round series of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. As the Columbus Blue Jackets face the Pittsburgh Penguins, residents of Franklin County, OH and Allegheny County, PA will make donations for their local food banks. Once the series is complete, President O’Grady will deliver the donations made in Franklin County to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and County Executive Fitzgerald will deliver the donations made in Allegheny County to Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Both officials will wear gear of the winning team and will post photos on social media of their efforts to address food security in their county. 

“As a Columbus Blue Jackets season ticket holder, I am ecstatic about the team’s success so far this season and anxious to celebrate our first playoff series victory over the Penguins,” said O’Grady. “I am happy to join Executive Fitzgerald in this effort on behalf of our hungry neighbors in Allegheny and Franklin counties.”

In Franklin County, fans can drop off items at the Franklin County Courthouse during regular business hours through the end of the series. Most wanted food drive items include: chili with beans, canned fruit (in juice or light syrup), tuna, canned vegetables, canned meat, soup with vegetables and peanut butter. Non-perishable items only will be accepted and no glass, please.

The Mid-Ohio Foodbank is a member of Feeding America and was founded in 1980. Last year, the MidOhio Foodbank distributed more than 68,900,000 pounds of nourishing food and groceries through a network of more than 650 agencies in its 20-county service area in central and eastern Ohio. More information can be found at MidOhioFoodbank.org.

“We’re thrilled to have the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Playoffs again and look forward to a win over the Blue Jackets in this series,” said Fitzgerald. “Even though we hope that President O’Grady will be wearing Penguins gear in the near future, he and I both know that the real winners will be the individuals and families which benefit from the work of our local food banks. Our fans are fantastic, and we look forward to seeing them show it through their donations to these groups.”

In Allegheny County, fans can drop off items at the Information office in the Courthouse Courtyard during regular business hours through the end of the series. Most wanted food drive items include: cereal (low sugar, high fiber), tuna or salmon (packed in water), fruit (packed in 100% juice or water), canned beans (black, garbanzo, etc.), peanut butter, hand soap and toiletries, toilet and facial tissue, laundry detergent, diapers (infant and adult) and canned vegetables (no or low sodium). Remember that only non-perishable items will be accepted and no glass, please.

Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 that distributes more than 31 million meals annually through a network of nearly 400 member agencies across 11 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. For more information on hunger in our region, or how to get involved, visit pittsburghfoodbank.org.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Pittsburgh Penguins played Game 1 on Wednesday night and will face each other again in Game 2 tonight in Pittsburgh. Games 3 and 4 will be held in Columbus on April 16 and 18. If necessary, Game 5 will be held on April 20 in Pittsburgh, Game 6 in Columbus on April 23 and Game 7 in Pittsburgh on April 25.