Sunday is a celebration beyond all for the thousands who’ve contributed to the local Hunters for the Hungry group’s Clean Out Your Freezer Day.

For the 25th year, through hurricanes, tropical storms, a couple of floods, even a fire, H4H has urged hunters to clear the way for the game they’ll take during the upcoming season — and the bounty of fall/winter fish expected to come from the coastal marshes — by emptying their freezers of the game and fish.

The collection also includes other frozen meats and the yearly 1-4 p.m. effort at a growing number of locations most always yields frozen poultry, beef, pork and sausages donations, which, by the way, can be tax deductible.

Canned foods donations have been added to the list.

By a quick count, this annual fourth Sunday in September event has collected 250,000 pounds of frozen meats and fish all going for distribution by the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank — all except last year when the flood claimed GBRFB’s storage freezers and the collection went to Second Harvest in the New Orleans area.

Jimmy Anthony, the retired state Wildlife Division chief, has taken leadership after H4H decades-long volunteer Richard Campbell died. Campbell was instrumental in getting H4H groups organized in other corners of Louisiana, so much so that freezer day collections have spread to Lafayette, Hammond, Alexandria, Monroe, Minden and Shreveport.

The Alexandria contingent will get a jump on freezer collections from 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Riverfront Center in Alexandria. Shreveport’s collection also is set from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the head of Texas Street, and Monroe’s effort at the NELA Food Bank on Central Avenue is set for 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 29 and 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 30.

Collections in Lafayette, Hammond and Minden will be held later in the fall.

Anthony said it’s best to have the donations labeled (easier to sort for distribution) and dated.

Again, hours are 1-4 p.m. Sunday, and Baton Rouge area collection sites include:

  • Old Alex Box Stadium parking lot, Nicholson Drive at Skip Bertman Drive;
  • Bowie Outfitters, 8630 Perkins Road;
  • CCA Louisiana’s office, 12241 Industriplex Boulevard;
  • Baton Rouge Fire stations at 935 Sharp Road and 150 South Wooddale;
  • Baker Fire Station, 3701 Groom Road, Baker;
  • Central Fire Station, 11646 Sullivan Road, Central City;
  • St. George Fire stations, 7027 Antioch Road and 16415 George O’Neal Lane;
  • Bass Pro Shops, Range Avenue at Interstate 12, Denham Springs;
  • Cabela’s, La. 30 at Interstate 10, Gonzales;
  • Feliciana Seafood, U.S. 61-North, St. Francisville;
  • The Red Boot Deli, 12430 St. Helena Street, Clinton.

If you need more information, call Anthony at (225) 412-4993 or visit website: hunters4hungrylouisiana.org.

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