Food Lion raises over $500,000 to fight hunger

If you've ever wondered whether those solicitations at the supermarket cash register to donate a dollar to a cause really add up, the answer seems to be yes: Salisbury-based Food Lion said it's raised more than $500,000 in two weeks with its anti-hunger donation campaign.

The "Hunger has a Cure" campaign allowed customers to donate $1, $3 or any dollar amount at checkout. The proceeds will be donated to Feeding America food banks. In total, the money will pay for more than 3.7 million meals for needy people, Food Lion said.

This year's campaign topped last year's total of $440,000. "We are ecstatic about the more than 3.7 million meals that we were able to provide to families in need," said Bill Garcia, manager of community relations for Food Lion.  "We are proud to work with Feeding America to help eliminate hunger in our communities."

Food Lion is a subsidiary of the Belgian grocery conglomerate Delhaize Group. The company operates more than 1,100 Food Lion stores, with 57,000 employees.