The East Lycoming Shopper and News is having its first-ever Four the Community Food Drive.

This is going to be a contest happening from Nov. 23 through Dec. 4. The contest includes 10 local businesses participating: Kidscycle; Be Unique. Be You. LLC Apparel and Home Boutique; Spotts Appliance; Cozy Lash & Beauty LLC; Two Olde Crows Variety Shoppe; Crownover’s New To You; KVS Computers; Hans CedarDale Satellite; Bigfoot Subs; and Shelia Barto’s Jewelry and Gifts.

According to a news release, each business is providing a prize to be given away of at least a $50 value. The grand prize is being given by the Shopper of a 3-day 2-night vacation voucher.

Entry forms will be in the Nov. 23 and Nov. 30 editions of the Shopper. To win participants must donate four different items to four different businesses. Each business has a specific food item that is to be donated there. When participants take an item in, staff will mark their entry slip and once they have four stores they will take it to either Crownover’s New To You, Two Olde Crows Variety Shoppe, Be Unique. Be You. LLC Apparel and Home Boutique, or Kidscycle. All entry’s forms will be gathered at the end of the contest and combined.

All food donations will be given to the Son Light House in Muncy. According to a 2022 article in the Sun-Gazette, Son Light House is a non-profit, ecumenical, community-supported resource that distributes food, clothing and furniture to eligible individuals and families. It was established in 1982.

“We could not do this without that kind of community support,” Ken Frey, then co-director of the organization, told the Sun-Gazette reporter for the 2022 article “We are all volunteers; nobody is paid.”

Each business will pull their winner on a video that will be posted on the Shopper’s Facebook page, the individual business may post it as well. Winner will also be notified by phone and listed in the Shopper on Dec. 14.