The Meijer Supercenter chain has donated 35 reconditioned semi-tractors valued at $500,000 to local food banks, academic organizations and law enforcement agencies throughout the Midwest.

Meijer is Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer that operates 195 stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.

The 35 tractors had previously been in use in the Meijer truck fleet and were recently replaced when Meijer purchased new, near-zero emission tractors. All of the trucks have been reconditioned and prepped for their next use, including a multi-point safety inspection and new graphics specific to each local food bank.

The announcement was made by Rick Keyes, executive vice president of supply chain operations and manufacturing for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer.

"Everyone at Meijer is very excited about the opportunity to make such a large donation to these important organizations," said Keyes. "Meijer focuses on supporting the communities where our customers and team members work and live, and we are proud to be able to provide this level of support for organizations that do such important work."

In total, 14 food banks and food rescue organizations will receive the donations, with each receiving two trucks. These organizations support communities in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky and include:

Feeding America of West Michigan (Comstock Park, Mich.)
Mid-Michigan Food Bank (Lansing, Mich.)
Forgotten Harvest (Oak Park, Mich.)
Food Bank of South Central Michigan (Battle Creek, Mich.)
Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (Flint, Mich.)
Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank (Toledo, Ohio)
Freestore Food Bank (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Shared Harvest (Fairfield, Ohio)
Mid-Ohio Foodbank (Grove City, Ohio)
Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Community Harvest Food Bank (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
Food Bank of Northern Indiana (South Bend, Ind.)
Northern Illinois Food Bank (St. Charles, Ill.)
Dare to Care Food Bank (Louisville, Ky.)

The remaining trucks were donated to the Michigan State Police and several academic institutions including Oakland Community College, Kent Career Technical Center and Ferris State University.

The food banks were chosen because helping combat hunger has been a primary focus of Meijer for many years. The company annually donates millions of pounds of food to local food banks and pantries, and has also generated more than $1.5 million in donations to local food banks through its Simply Give program.

More info: www.meijer.com