Illinois State Police, UPS Deliver Food To First Lady

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois First Lady Lura Lynn Ryan today received a carload of food from the Illinois State Police and a truckload of food from United Parcel Services for the "4-H CAN Make a Difference" Food Drive and Fundraiser.

As the Honorary Chair of the 1999 4-H fund raising campaign, Mrs. Ryan accepted the donations of non-perishable items for the needy families of Illinois. The First Lady's tent at the Illinois State Fair is adjacent to the 4-H tent, which has a display of donations for the annual food drive.

"I am honored to be chairing this food drive, but I am even more impressed with the partnerships that have been forged to bring food to so many families in Illinois," Mrs. Ryan said. "Thanks to the troopers with the Illinois State Police and representatives of UPS, we're on our way to shattering last year's record," she added.

The 4-H food drive is in its third year and has collected more than 15 tons of food. Outside of the First Lady's tent, fair goers can preview a John Deere mower that will be raffled for $5 on Sunday, Aug. 22, the last day of the State Fair. Mrs. Ryan encouraged visitors to the State Fair to bring non-perishable food to donate to the 4-H effort and purchase raffle tickets while there. All proceeds from the raffle will be used to purchase food for the 4-H food drive.

"The John Deere company, UPS and the Illinois State Police have proven that private and public sector groups can work together to make a difference," Mrs. Ryan said.