Piedmont Opera to Host Food Drive
with Hansel & Gretel Productions

Winston-Salem, NC (September 28, 2009)– Piedmont Opera announced today a food drive partnership to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.  The Opera will accept donations of non-perishable food items at its productions of Hansel and Gretel  on October 2nd at 7 p.m., October 4 at 2 p.m., and October 6 at 7:30 p.m.  All operas will take place at the Stevens Center of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (405 W. Fourth Street). The Hot Shots youth group of High Caliber Stables will assist with food collections during the productions.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Piedmont Opera Box Office at 333.724.3202 or online at www.piedmontopera.org.  For each donation of 5 items of non-perishable food, Piedmont Opera will give the donor a coupon worth 50% off a second ticket to the opera company’s Valentine’s Day Concert at WFU’s Brendle Recital Hall if they purchase one ticket at full price.  This is a $17.50 value for each donation of 5 food items.

Of the partnership Piedmont Opera’s Executive Director Frank Dickerson said, “We are pleased to participate in this food drive that will provide vital assistance to people in the greater Triad area. In difficult times like these, it is critically important that community institutions work together to provide help to the less fortunate.  This collaborative effort between the opera, its patrons and the Second Harvest Food Back of Northwest North Carolina will help those in need within our community.”

Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Clyde Fitzgerald added, “Our organization and the community at large are blessed that Piedmont Opera cares deeply about helping those who are in great need at this time.”

Hunger is a significant problem in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County and throughout the 18 county service area in Northwest North Carolina.  The network of nearly 400 partner agencies indicate that the demand for food assistance from clients has increased 76% over last year.  The gap between the food assistance that’s desperately needed and the ability to provide it through agencies is, unfortunately, widening and rapidly so.   The community’s support is needed to donate food and money to help provide much-needed food to agencies to feed as many hungry neighbors as possible.  Nutritious food like canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats such as tuna and chicken and boxes of cereal and pasta are most needed.