ELFs, chairs and turkeys go to Havre Food Bank

Gerri Stiffarm (left) unpacks a box of food Thursday evening for the annual Elf Drive.

The Havre Food Bank will see local firefighters in trucks with lights flashing during the annual ELF drive, along with a chair auction and turkey donations this week, with several sets of activities set to help the organization help feed needy people in the area.

The Havre Fire Department's Everybody Loves Firefighters food drive started Wednesday night and continues tonight, with volunteers helping firefighters as they drive around town collecting nonperishable food for the food bank.

The firefighters started Wednesday on the east side of 5th Avenue, driving through neighborhoods as volunteers knocked on doors to collect food and others worked to sort the food as it was dropped off.

The firefighters tonight will move to the neighborhoods on the west side of 5th Avenue.

Cody McLain, "Head ELF" for the drive, said volunteers are welcome to join the firefighters at the Havre Fire Department on 5th Avenue to help, with volunteers asked to show up about 5:30 p. m. and the trucks rolling out at 6 p. m.

"We are absolutely looking for volunteers, " McLain said. "The more the better. "

Havre High School also is getting into the act helping collect food for the food bank during the holidays. Activities Director Dennis Murphy said he challenged the clubs, groups and activities at the high school to buy turkeys to donate to the food bank, and the groups plan to purchase their turkeys and take them to the food bank Friday.

The area's brush last week with winter storm Brutus also has brought another food bank benefit to this week.

The storm, that dumped nearly a foot of snow and brought frigid temperatures to the region, caused the organizers of a fundraiser to reschedule the event from last Friday to tomorrow.

The A Chair at the Table fundraiser is set from 4:30 to 6:30 p. m Friday at the Atrium Mall, with an open bar, snacks and other refreshments preceding the main event — an auction of specially decorated chairs.

Local artists, students and other residents have specially decorated the chairs, with Darren Overlie scheduled to auction them off and the proceeds benefitting the food bank.