Photo submitted to Times Observer Members Amy Trask and Denise Cedarquist from the Friends of Rouse volunteered to package donations into bags for the WCSD backpack program.

The final numbers are in from the “Business to Business” Food Challenge, benefiting the BackPack Program of Warren County.

The challenge partners (The Rouse, Times Observer, and Second Harvest Food Bank) asked that participating businesses collect food, and then deliver their collection to Allegheny Valley Elementary School (AVES) on Friday, October 13.

The BackPack Program distributes packages filled with food to kids each Friday before they leave school, providing them with nutritious food to get them through the weekend.

The program helps approximately 350 children, or about 27 percent of the Warren County School District elementary population.

In all, 32 businesses combined to donate $10,707 and 4,150 pounds of food. The original money figure was almost doubled, as Hooktown Holidays offered a $5,000 match to the original $5,707 raised.

“We had an overwhelming turnout of support with our donors, volunteers and staff,” said Kerstin Wyman, Marketing Director at The Rouse. “This year’s event was a major success. We can’t thank everyone involved enough.”

Each year, the organizers of the event add the total amount collected by a business (money plus pounds of food) and divide it by the number of employees at the business to award a winner for highest percentage donated by a business. This year’s winner, for the third year in a row, is a collection of $1,321,20 and 70 pounds collected solely by Maryann Paris at Presents and Posies.

The top six businesses based on pounds of food collected were:

Ellwood: 770 lbs

Tops of Warren: 716 lbs

AFSCME Local 469 WSH: 581 lbs

Rouse Estate: 293 lbs

Blair: 244 lbs

Warren Library: 237 lbs

The top six businesses based on monetary donations collected were:

Warren County Board of Realtors: $1,380

Presents and Posies: $1,321

Warren Library: $850

Rouse Estate: $500

Bollinger Enterprises: $500

AFSCME Local 469 WSH: $328

The complete donation list:

Presents N Posies (70 lbs., $1,321.20), Northwest Youngsville Branch (67 lbs., $10), Rouse Estate (293 lbs., $500.25), Warren Co. Board of Realtors (146 lbs., $1,380), Experience Inc./ACC (63 lbs.), Hooktown Holidays ($5,000), Family Services (148 lbs.), Warren Library (237 lbs., $850), Targeted Pet Treats (164 lbs., $40), Warren County Assistance Office (38 lbs. $40), Blair (244 lbs., $126), Ellwood (770 lbs., $220), Womans Club (40 lbs.), CTI (79 lbs., $50), Jones Chevrolet (57 lbs.), Market Street Dental (100 lbs., $200), Bollinger Enterprises (39 lbs., $500), Superior Tire (43 lbs., $100), Erie Bank (71 lbs.), AFSCME Local 469 WSH (581 lbs., $328), Kersey & Associates (86 lbs., $92), Tops (716 lbs.), WCSD (69 lbs.), Hospice of Warren County (29 lbs.).