Lebanon Christian Ministries partners with Tree Legacies Wrestling for food drive event

Lebanon County Christian Ministries officials are partnering with Three Legacies Wrestling to tackle food insecurity during a weekend wrestling showstopper.

On March 22, both organizations will be partnering for a food and personal hygiene drive at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center and Fairgrounds as part of the latest Three Legacies Wrestling event. The goal is to collect essential food items and personal hygiene products donations from residents to assist those in need within our community.

Dan Trimble, Christian Ministries Director of Development, said this will be the second year the organizations have partnered for a food and personal hygiene drive.

"Just bring a can or a bag full of groceries," he said. "Try to keep it non-perishable, canned items verses fresh. At the end of the event we'll put it on the LCCM van and take it over to the food bank."

The drive is part of Three Legacies latest event, Smackdown at the Smokehouse. Presented by Seltzer's Smoked Meats, the event will feature 3LW Heavyweight Champion Bill Bain defending his title against former WWE and current MLW star Ricardo Rodriguez.

The event will feature 3LW Tag Team Champions, South Philly’s Finest, along with Zoey Cannon, Breaux Keller, WWE legend Tatanka, Micro Man and more.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the show is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $15 for general admission, with a limited number of seats available in the first three rows. Ticketing information can be found on 3LWtix.com.

Trimble said that Christian Ministries received a skid load of products donated during last year's drive, with Three Legacies partnering with BJ's Wholesale Club and Giant to make donations as well. Trimble added thanks to Jesus Rodriguez of Three Legacies Wrestling for partnering with the food bank for another year.

Across Lebanon County, 27% of households have at least one person employed, yet struggle to afford basic necessities, including housing, utilities, food, child care and health care, according to the Asset Limited Income Constrained, Employed, or ALICE, report. ALICE records household incomes that exceed the federal poverty level but are not high enough to pay for basic needs.

The City of Lebanon, Annville Township, Myerstown and Palmyra were identified by the ALICE report as having more than 40% of households without incomes to pay for basic needs.

Christian Ministries officials said that the help of local organizations, businesses, and community members, the aim of the drive is to make a significant impact and provide support to families facing food insecurity and hygiene challenges.

Organizers are looking for residents to donate non-perishable food or personal hygiene products, according to Trimble. If residents are not able to provide food donations, organizers will be taking monetary donations either at the event or at the Christian Ministries website at lccm.us.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth.