Daytona Beach, FL - After finding out there was some money left over from last year's event, Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower wanted to see if they can do something different for this year's State of the County address.
According to Brower, planning for this year's address—which is also his first as county chair—began just weeks into his term.
"I was in office a few weeks when the county staff came to me and said 'we need to talk about the State of the County,' months in advance," said Brower.
That's also when Brower learned that there was money left over from 2020's event that could be put towards this year's address. With that in mind, Brower said the county decided to ask for charitable donations instead of just seeking sponsors for this year's event.
Then, following a conversation with County Manager George Recktenwald, the county decided where those donations would go.
"George suggested that we make donations to Second Harvest to provide not just for one meal, but for groceries for individuals and families," said Brower.
On Tuesday (April 27), county council members presented Second Harvest with a $27,000 check. According to a representative from Second Harvest, every dollar donated can help them give $9 worth of food, meaning this $27,000 check can go towards buying $243,000 worth of food.
