With no racing events, IMS hosts food giveaway for thousands

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Motor Speedway may be a little quieter this weekend with no Indy 500, but it wasn’t empty on Saturday morning — it was the site of Gleaners Mega Food Drive.

Thousands of families showed up to get food boxes. They left with nearly 40 pounds of food that include healthy and perishable items. Gleaners says they are still seeing about twice as many people as usual in need of food during this pandemic.

“National the feeding america research says we are seeing a 48 percent increase in hunger, Unfortunatley in indiana its about double that we are seeing about a 100 percent increase and it’s only slightly tapering in the last couple of weeks,” said John Elliott, the CEO and president of Gleaners Food Bank.

Gleaners says they believe this was the largest food distribution in Indiana history with the second being last week’s distribution at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.