Erie County Fair Food Drive collects record-breaking donations for FeedMore WNY

Opening day of the 185th annual Erie County Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 6, fairgoers had the opportunity to receive free admission by donating four or more canned food items or non-perishable food items to benefit FeedMore WNY.

The results are in, and the 2025 Erie County Fair Opening Day Food Drive was another record-breaking success with a total of 164,384 pounds of food! This year’s drive collected 11,260 more pounds than last years’. We are so grateful to all of the individuals who donated, our volunteers, staff, and the Erie County Fair for making this possible.

“We are continually blown away by the generosity of our fairgoers,” said Jessica Underberg, Erie County Fair CEO & Fair Manager. “The Opening Day Food Drive is one of the most meaningful traditions we have. It speaks to the heart of what the Fair is about: community, compassion, and coming together to make a difference.”

“FeedMore WNY is incredibly grateful for the continued partnership of the Erie County Agricultural Society and the outpouring of support from the Western New York community,” said Lisa Woodring, FeedMore WNY Executive Vice President of External Affairs. “The number of people seeking nutritional assistance through our network of nearly 400 partner agencies is up more than 22% this year, and this record-breaking effort couldn’t come at a better time.”