The sixth annual Jaguars Food Drive gets underway on Wednesday, with area Winn-Dixie stores accepting non-perishable food items to help fight hunger on the First Coast. Last year's drive brought in more than 32,000 pounds of food, enough for approximately 21,424 meals.

The Lutheran Social Services Second Harvest Food Bank, northeast Florida's regional food bank, will again serve as the central resource for receiving and distributing the donated food to 17 area counties.

Fans are encouraged to stop by local Winn-Dixies to drop off their non-perishable food items from Wednesday, November 1 through Monday, November 13. The stadium game day collection is set for Sunday, November 12, when the Jaguars play host to the Seattle Seahawks in a 1:00 p.m. game at ALLTEL Stadium. Members of JagNet, the team's volunteer wives group, will accept donations starting at 11:15 a.m. Players' wives will be at each of the stadium's four main gates. The Jaguars' cheerleaders, The Roar, will also accept donations at the stadium's Touchdown Club West entrance.

Fans who bring five or more items to the game day collection and/or to the Winn-Dixie stores during the below scheduled player appearances will receive a special edition 11x17 size poster designed especially for the food drive. The following appearances are scheduled during the next two weeks:

Tuesday, November 7, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Winn Dixie (Beach and St. Johns Bluff Road)

Thursday, November 9, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Winn Dixie (Atlantic and Penman Road)

Television and radio public service announcements featuring Jaguars tight end Kyle Brady and his wife, Kristi, and kicker Steve Lindsey and his wife, Keli, are presently being distributed to promote the drive.

The LSS Second Harvest Food Bank, northeast Florida's regional food bank, will again serve as the central resource for receiving and distributing the donated food items. More than 5 million pounds of donated food are distributed each year to over 350 non-profit agencies across our area. In 1999, the food bank distributed approximately four million meals to over 350 daycares, senior centers, churches and other non-profit sharing agencies. LSS is also currently feeding 3,000 children a day at 45 different sites through the Kids Cafes program.

For more information, please contact the Jaguars Community Affairs Department by calling (904) 633-6136.