Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 23-29, 2022 as Bag Hunger Week!

The MGA announced the Silver Plate Award winners of its 2022 Bag Hunger Campaign contest. The contest is part of a state-wide campaign coordinated annually by the MGA that engages Minnesotans in the fight to bag hunger in their neighborhoods. The 2022 Bag Hunger Campaign will donate $17,000 to neighborhood hunger-relief partners all across the state. In this year alone, the organized efforts of the campaign and its participating companies collectively raised over 1.3 million meals. Since 2008, participants in the MGA’s hunger campaign programs have provided over 43 million meals to hungry families in Minnesota.

The Bag Hunger Campaign brought together numerous retail members, vendor partners, and community hunger relief partners to fill the plates of those in need across the state. Participating stores and vendors offered multiple opportunities for consumers to contribute to the campaign. Some stores encouraged customers to donate grocery items in-store or round up their purchase totals at the register, contributing the price difference to feed local families. Others prominently displayed the names of customers who donated money on shopping list icons in their stores.

“The success of the Bag Hunger Campaign is driven by the exceptional efforts and generosity of our members, vendor partners, community food support agencies, and most significantly, Minnesota’s grocery customers,” said Jamie Pfuhl, president of the MGA. “The excitement and dedication demonstrated by all partners, participants, and community members are inspiring. Grocers are essential to the communities they serve and are proud to play a role in this collective effort to end hunger in Minnesota. Congratulations to our Silver Plate and Campaign Champion winners for their wonderfully creative, engaging, and effective efforts.”

2023 SILVER PLATE AWARD WINNERS
Best Creative Partnership
Coborn’s, Sauk Rapids & Post Consumer Brands, Lakeville
County Market, North Branch & KEMPS, St. Paul
Lunds & Byerlys, Edina & Prairie Farms Dairy, Woodbury

Best Overall Program Support: Retail
Super One Foods / Miner’s, Inc., Hermantown

Best Overall Program Support: Vendor
KEMPS, St. Paul

Best Marketing Campaign
Cub Foods, Stillwater

Best Innovative Marketing Campaign
Rush Foods, Inc., Rushford

Best Community Hunger Support Partnership
Mackenthun’s Fine Foods, Waconia

2023 CAMPAIGN CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS
Brink’s Market, Chisago City
Chris’ Food Center, Sandstone
Hugo’s Family Marketplace, East Grand Forks
Knowlan’s Super Markets, Inc., Vadnais Heights
Kowalski’s Market, Woodbury
Radermacher’s Fresh Market, Jordan
Russ Davis Wholesale, Wadena