LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 21, 2021) — On Tuesday, April 20, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance hosted its third annual Clays for a Cause fundraising event, bringing in more than $220,000 to fight hunger and food insecurity in Kentucky.

The sporting clays event, which took place at Jefferson Gun Club in Brooks, Ky., was attended by nearly 300 participants and supported by 31 sponsoring companies. Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites 100% of the expenses for this event and, therefore, every dollar raised from sponsorships, participant fees, and donations can be given to the selected charity or cause. This year, all proceeds were again designated to support local hunger relief efforts as part of the Department of Agriculture’s Kentucky Hunger Initiative.

“Our goal for this event is actually quite simple: Unite the collective resources of Kentucky Farm Bureau’s many partners and friends, and give them the platform to contribute in a significant way to a charitable cause that benefits other Kentuckians in need,” said John Sparrow, Executive Vice President and CEO of Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance. “As an organization that has roots in agriculture, our connection to the Kentucky Hunger Initiative makes a lot of sense, and we are truly blessed to be able to make this kind of impact through Clays for a Cause.”

Clays for a Cause was first held in April 2019, raising nearly $116,000 for the Kentucky Hunger Initiative in its inaugural year. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but a $500,000 donation – $125,000 received in sponsorships and participation fees prior to the cancelation, and $375,000 more contributed by Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance – was still made through the Kentucky Hunger Initiative that year.

“Though our event couldn’t be held in 2020, we refused to sit by idly while the pandemic made food insecurity in Kentucky a greater threat to many families,” added Sparrow. “That donation sent a strong message about our commitment to the cause. This year, fortunately, we were also able to hold our event and get others involved in championing this issue with us.”

With the $220,000+ raised from this year’s Clays for a Cause, the event has now provided more than $835,000 during its first three years for the fight against hunger in the Commonwealth. This year’s donation through the Kentucky Hunger Initiative will again be divided among three local groups – Feeding Kentucky, Glean Kentucky, and Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry.

“Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company’s generosity knows no bounds,” said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. “Since the first Clays for a Cause event, well more than three-quarters of a million dollars has been raised for our Kentucky Hunger Initiative partners. Despite a pandemic, our farmers kept farming and Kentucky Farm Bureau kept supporting those in need. I am incredibly grateful to have the largest Kentucky farm organization continue to support Feeding Kentucky, Glean Kentucky, and Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry.”

The Kentucky Hunger Initiative was launched in 2016 to bring together farmers, charitable organizations, faith groups, community leaders, and government entities to look for ways to reduce hunger in Kentucky. That mission, as explained by the non-profit organizations receiving the Clays for a Cause funds through the Kentucky Hunger Initiative, is being accomplished.

"According to Feeding America data, the average cost of a meal in Kentucky is $2.68 and a donation of $50,000 will provide approximately 18,000 meals. Because of the generous support of donors like Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance, we are much closer to being able to provide the 662,000 meals needed each year to help of those struggling with hunger in our state,” said Katrina Thompson, Executive Director of Feeding Kentucky. “Strong partners like Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance allow us to continue in our efforts to one day eradicate hunger completely.”

"We are both honored and humbled that Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance chose our organization as a beneficiary of its Clays for a Cause event,” said Roger LaPointe, Executive Director of Kentucky Hunters for the Hungry. “As part of Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles’ Kentucky Hunger Initiative, Hunters for the Hungry plays a vital role in providing much needed protein to the region’s most vulnerable, especially during this pandemic. We could not fulfill our mission without generous support like this.”

"We are grateful for the continued support of Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance. For a third year, the KFB community has stepped up to make a significant impact on hunger across the Commonwealth through Glean Kentucky,” said Stephanie Wooten, Executive Director of Glean Kentucky. “We are thrilled to use the funds raised to continue our work of harvesting surplus fresh produce from local farms and connecting it with Kentuckians who need it most. Because of long-term supporters like KFB Insurance, we have been able to bring our work to address food waste and food insecurity to communities across Central and South Central Kentucky.”

Clays for a Cause will be held again in the spring of 2022.

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CAPTION:  (Left to right) KFB Federation Executive Vice President, Drew Graham, KFB Insurance Executive Vice President and CEO, John Sparrow, KFB 2nd Vice President, Sharon Furches, Commissioner Ryan Quarles, KFB President, Mark Haney, and KFB 1st Vice President, Eddie Melton, came together to share why it’s so important to engage in this battle against hunger during Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance’s third annual Clays for a Cause event at Jefferson Gun Club in Brooks, Ky., on April 20.

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Clays for a Cause is a sporting clays event produced and underwritten as a charitable fundraiser by Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company. Every dollar raised from the event through sponsorships, donations and participant entry fees is given to a charity or cause designated by the Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Foundation.