After a successful summer campaign, the Sandhills branch of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina in Southern Pines is working with area golf courses to drive hunger out of Moore County.

Three area golf courses -- The National, Talamore and Little River -- will donate a portion of greens fees collected Monday through next Sunday, Nov. 23, to the Food Bank as part of the Drive Hunger Out of the Sandhills promotion. Fees at all three clubs will be $49 that week.

The event comes on the heels of the successful Sandhills Summer Stock, a partnership between the Food Bank and First Friday in which nonperishable items were collected during the festival.

Last week, First Friday board members Anthony Parks, Shane Moubry and Dr. Michael Henry donated $500 to the Food Bank.

"You get a lot of bang for your buck," Moubry said. "A dollar goes a long way at the food bank."

Parks added: "It helps meet a basic need during the holiday season."

All three First Friday board members said they would like to continue the partnership with the Food Bank in the future.

Mary Waters, a fundraising consultant for the Food Bank, said the partnership with First Friday has been beneficial by boosting community awareness of the needy in Moore County.

"To have a community partnership like this has been great," Waters said. "We couldn't have had the success we had (this summer) without the help of First Friday."

Since July 1, more than $69,000 has been raised for the Food Bank through various projects. The goal, according to Waters is $220,000 by June 30, 2009.

"We have been working as diligently as we can to build awareness about our work," said Peter Werbicki, president and CEO of the Food Bank. "This event will help raise awareness and, bottom line, be able to provide some revenue to keep up our operations."

Werbicki said demand for services from the Food Bank is greater this year than last.

"The community is more aware and wants to donate during the holidays more than any other time," he said. "The demand throughout the area is high -- it doesn't go away after the holidays -- it is year-round. The need is more critical today than it has ever been."

Contact Tom Embrey at 693-2477 or by e-mail at tembrey@thepilot.com.