UPDATE!

The American Legion has announced that they will be disturbing grocery store gift cards to the eligible families in lieu of food baskets. This means the normal event on Friday, December 18th will be changed to a fundraising event on Saturday, December 5th.

KFYR 550 AM Radio will broadcast their 12-hour fundraising campaign starting at 6:00 a.m. at the Kirkwood Mall by Scheels. Donations will be used to purchase grocery store gift cards for eligible families that would normally receive food baskets.

Open Your Heart is organized by the American Legion Post 1.  The Legion has led this community supported Christmas charity for families in need in Bismarck and Burleigh County every year since December 1930.  Help is needed from the Young Professionals Network to pack the food baskets on Friday evening starting at 6:30 pm.  Volunteers will be split into two groups; handing out food at one of the tables and walking through the line with collection boxes.

Friday, December 18th starting at 6:30 p.m. volunteers are needed to pack baskets for the families.  Tables are set up, each with a particular food item. Members of motorcycle clubs fill tote boxes with staples and volunteers pack baskets for the families. The volunteers move around the tables and food items are placed in the baskets based on the number of members in each family. After that is complete, by about 8:30 p.m., Boy Scouts and others take down the tables and sweep up.

Be sure to wear your YP shirt.  This is a family friendly event.  The event is indoor so masks may be required.  Check out the Facebook event page for more details.

*Please park in the Civic Center South Parking Lot and use SE entrance.

Volunteers are also needed on Saturday, December 19th, 2020  to add perishable food items to the food baskets and deliver them to the families. Starting at 6:30 a.m., Dan’s Supermarkets and Land O’Lakes deliver turkeys, chickens, bread, milk, and coleslaw, and volunteers help load vehicles. At 7:30 a.m., volunteer drivers delivering the baskets start arriving while other volunteers load their vehicles with the food baskets. After the drivers deliver the food baskets, any undelivered baskets are returned. Some last-minute families will get the undelivered baskets, with the rest being delivered to the Salvation Army and Heavens Helpers Soup Kitchen.