The Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club volunteered the most hours of Rotary clubs in the area assisting Food Lifeline in providing food to area food banks.

The Bellevue club donated 606 hours sorting food at Food Lifeline’s Seattle facility. The Kent Rotary Club donated 564 hours and Mercer Island 423 hours.

The Bellevue club actually trailed the Kent club by three hours going into the final work party. However, 30 members and guests of the Bellevue club worked three hours each at Food Lifeline to tally 90 volunteer hours. The Kent Club had 15 people, totaling 45 volunteer hours for the day.

The victory by BBRC means it will receive the first annual “golden donut” award from David Bobanick, Executive Director of Food Lifeline later this month.

In all, 45 different members of the BBRC contributed hours over the course of the year and several members brought groups of guests. Rotarian Ruben Ladlad brought 23 members of his daughter’s high school class to one of the work parties in November. John Smolke brought 16 employees from Peterson Sullivan accounting firm in December and Morris Kremen enlisted significant help from co-workers and neighborhood youth on several occasions throughout the year. Dean Pollock recruited selected members of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church youth group on several occasions.

Club member Chuck Barnes participated in 10 of the 12 work parties throughout the year.

The duel was a personal one between friends and Rotary club presidents Jenny Andrews (BBRC) and Julie LeFebvre (Kent). LeFebvre is expected to attend a BBRC meeting to make a formal concession speech.