For release: Jan. 6, 2009

Contacts: 
Steve Karsjen, Public Affairs, 515-294-5643

AMES LABORATORY/IPRT DONATION
MEANS 13 TONS OF FOOD FOR LOCAL FOOD PANTRY

AMES, Iowa –Employees of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University’s Institute for Physical Research and Technology raised more than $3,650 for the Bethesda Community Food Pantry in December.  The donation will allow the pantry to purchase over 26,000 pounds of food since it purchases food from the Food Bank of Iowa at 14 cents per pound. The funds were proceeds from the Ames Lab/IPRT Holiday Auction held on Dec. 11, 2008.

The pantry provides supplemental food to all who ask. The donation also included 600 food items, while over 130 items of clothing were given to the same organization's clothing operation.

“Once again, Ames Laboratory and IPRT employees have shown their charitable spirit,” said Steve Karsjen, director of public affairs, the office that organized the auction.  “We look forward to continuing this event and helping others for years to come.”

For the seventh straight year, employees at Ames Laboratory and IPRT donated items and services for the holiday auction.  Those items, along with generous donations from area merchants, were placed on live auction, with employees bidding against each other to raise the funds.

Since its inception, the auction has raised more than $17,000 for charities in Story County and surrounding areas.  Past recipients include Shop with a Cop, Youth and Shelter Service’s Rosedale Shelter, Beloit Residential Treatment Center, ARC of Story County, Israel Family Hospice House and the Emergency Residence Project.

Ames Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory operated for the DOE by Iowa State University.  Ames Laboratory creates innovative materials, technologies and energy solutions. We use our expertise, unique capabilities and interdisciplinary collaborations to solve global challenges.

The Institute for Physical Research and Technology, also known as IPRT, is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides a variety of technical assistance to Iowa companies.

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