The Salvation Army and the Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) are inviting the homeless and anyone else who needs a hot meal to attend the 8th annual Feed the Hungry Feast. As many as 1,600 guests are expected at the event from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, January 19 at the downtown Reno Events Center. The dinner is held each year on the eve of SCI's annual Hunters' Convention at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

SCI's Sportsmen Against HungerTM program contributes game meat to The Salvation Army, which organizes the event. The meat is being donated by the Northern Nevada Chapter of Safari Club International and by Multiple Use Managers - a wildlife management service that combines hunting and recreation across the U.S. Half of the meat will be ground beef which SCI will purchase at cost from local meat vendors.

Eldorado Hotel Executive Chef Troy Cannan and his staff will prepare the game and other food donations into a great meal. Other sponsors assisting The Salvation Army include the RSCVA, C & M Food Distributing, Model Dairy, SportService, Truckee Sourdough Company, Harrah's Reno and SYSCO. The Washoe County Sheriff's Department will provide security.

SCIF's 45-foot Sensory Safari trailer, which provides a tactile exploration of wildlife, will also be on hand for dinner guests and volunteers to experience, thanks to the generosity of the SCI Redding Regional Chapter in California.

"We are very pleased to once again offer the community a hot, nutritious meal - especially during these tough economic times," said Major Doug Williams, Corps Officer of The Salvation Army in Reno. "We're very grateful for the support provided through our partnerships with the Safari Club Foundation's Sportsmen Against Hunger program and all of the other sponsors."

"The economic difficulties being faced by families throughout the country have created a severe need for a healthful and safe source of protein. Our SCI/F hunting family is proud to step up to the plate to provide thousands of highly nutritious protein-packed meals by way of our continued donations of harvested game meat through our Sportsmen Against Hunger program," added SCI Foundation Humanitarian Services Chairman Gene Rurka.

More than 150 volunteers are expected to help with the event, including the High Sierra Chefs Association, Wells Fargo, Kiwanis Sunrisers Club, Boy Scout Troop 152, Girl Scout Troop 72, McQueen High School football players, Job Corps students and members of The Salvation Army Advisory Board.

The Salvation Army's religious and social service programs serve millions of men, women and children in 118 nations. The organization has been meeting primary needs in Northern Nevada since 1884.

For more information, call 775-688-4555 X 208 or visit our website at www.salvationarmyreno.com.