MARYSVILLE — Visitors to the Marysville Safeway Aug. 13-14 donated $605 and 361 pounds to the Marysville Community Food Bank in exchange for roasted ears of corn, and in return received information on the Food Bank’s “Giving Gardens” campaign.

“On Saturday, one lady had a bag of coins she was going to put in the CoinStar machine, but instead, she bought an ear of corn and gave us the whole bag of money, which amounted to $82.65,” said JoAnn Sewell, volunteer coordinator for the Marysville Community Food Bank.

Food Bank volunteers staffed tables at the Safeway plaza alongside members of the Marysville Rotary, who were selling raffle tickets for a 2010 Camaro donated by Roy Robinson Chevrolet. Steve Fulton, the Rotarians’ car auction committee event coordinator, noted that all raffle ticket sale proceeds will be invested in local, regional and international Rotary service projects, the latter including Rotary’s polio eradication program.

At the same time, Fulton was quick to tout the value of “Giving Gardens,” which solicits donations of homegrown surplus produce from the community.

“That was really our main mission,” Fulton said. “Last year, with the help of publicity from Rotary, the Food Bank went from an estimated 4,000 pounds of surplus foods donated to ‘Giving Gardens’ to 16,000 pounds. This year, we’re trying to up that to 30,000 pounds. “

Fulton recalled one person who handed over $50 worth of groceries to the Food Bank by himself, as well as the number of people he spoke with who went from being skeptical of the fundraiser to contributing to it.

“These are tough economic times, so I was getting the third degree from some of these folks,” Fulton laughed. “But when they found out that their donations were going entirely to these causes, they really gave generously.”

“The Kornman Of Washington,” a.k.a. Nathan Bainbridge, donated the use of his corn roasting machine to raise funds for the Food Bank, while the Marysville Rotary and Marysville Safeway store donated the corn itself, which was sold in exchange for donations of any amount to the Food Bank. All proceeds from this sale go directly to the Food Bank.

For more information, you may call the Food Bank at 360-658-1054.