OLEAN, NY – Get ready to move your feet and make a difference. The Olean Food Pantry is partnering with Neighborhood School of Dance for the upcoming Movin’ Feet 4 the Food Pantry Dance-A-Thon – a fun-filled event to support the fight against local food insecurity.

The Dance-A-Thon will be held from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 at NSD’s 609 S. Union St. studio in Olean. It promises an evening of energetic dancing, joyous music and heartfelt giving, organizers said.

“This Easter break, give your kids an opportunity to have a blast while making a meaningful impact in our community,” said NSD owner and CEO Brittany Thierman. “For a $25 donation to the Olean Food Pantry, kids can dance their hearts out and show off their best moves, all while supporting OFP’s $1 Million Fundraising Campaign. Don’t worry about snacks. We’ve got that covered, ensuring they’ll have plenty of energy to keep movin’ and groovin’ through the night.”

To register for the Movin’ Feet 4 the Food Pantry Dance-A-Thon, visit www.nsd.dance/register. For those who can’t attend, donations to OFP’s fundraising campaign can be made at https://oleanfoodpantry.org/donate/.

While the Dance-A-Thon will be a lighthearted event for a good cause, the community need behind it is serious. The Olean Food Pantry recently launched its $1 Million Fundraising Campaign in response to a 95.4% increase in pantry clients the last three years. According to new OFP Board President David Potter, the pantry is routinely serving record numbers of individuals and families on distribution days.

“We’re overjoyed to be able to provide free food and resources to so many in need,” Potter said, “but service alone isn’t winning the war on hunger. The crux of our fundraising campaign is to build our capacity to serve immediate needs, stock our shelves for the next 10 years, and buy time to resolve systemic issues that cause hunger in the first place.”

Cash donations allow Olean Food Pantry to purchase 66% more food from community partners than by nonperishable food donations alone, Potter said. Priority areas for funding also include building new programs with community partners to help lift families from poverty, providing nutrition education, and improving community outreach. For more information about the Olean Food Pantry, visit www.oleanfoodpantry.org.