'Can day' brings in less food than 2010

A preliminary tally of the canned goods donated by State Fair attendees Thursday showed the take was about 5 percent less than last year's record.

Fairgoers who donated at least four canned items to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina were allowed into the fair for free during the annual Hunger Relief Day, more commonly known as "can day."

The food bank said 234,870 pounds of food was donated, down from the 247,569 pounds collected last year. Officials said they will make a final tally Monday in case anybody donated any canned goods over the fair's final weekend.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler had challenged fairgoers to top the 2010 record, saying the fair would donate $1,000 to the food bank if the record was broken.

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has distributed more than 1 million pounds of disaster relief products following the April tornadoes in eastern counties and Hurricane Irene. Officials said the "can day" donations will help refill their shelves.