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When our community comes together, incredible things happen!

Local businesses joined the Food Bank of the Southern Tier for our 2026 Leader of the Pack event, bringing teamwork, energy, and a shared commitment to helping children across the Southern Tier access nutritious food.

Together, participating teams packed an impressive 4,800 BackPack bags, helping support children who may not have reliable access to food when school meals are unavailable.

A Little Friendly Competition, A Lot of Community Impact

Leader of the Pack brings local businesses together for a unique team-building experience with a meaningful purpose.

Throughout the event, participants rolled up their sleeves, worked alongside colleagues, and helped pack bags of food for children in our communities.

Beyond the friendly competition, the event served as a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when businesses and community members unite around a common goal.

Supporting Children Beyond the School Day

For many children across the Southern Tier, school meals provide an important source of daily nutrition. But when the school week ends, access to food can become more challenging.

Through the Food Bank of the Southern Tier’s BackPack Program, children experiencing food insecurity receive bags of nutritious, easy-to-prepare food to take home for weekends and school breaks.

The 4,800 bags packed during Leader of the Pack will help support this important work, providing food for children and families throughout our region.

Thank You to Our Community Partners

Events like Leader of the Pack are possible because of the generosity, enthusiasm, and commitment of our local business community.

We are incredibly grateful to every participating business, volunteer, and supporter who helped make this year’s event a success.

Your willingness to give your time, work together, and support our mission makes a meaningful difference for children and families across the Southern Tier.

See Leader of the Pack in Action!

Together, We Can Make a Difference

Leader of the Pack is more than a day of packing food. It’s a celebration of community, collaboration, and the collective impact we can make in the fight against food insecurity.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2026 event a success. We look forward to continuing this important work together!

Want to make a difference? Learn more about how you or your organization can get involved with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier at foodbankst.org.