Kiss the Calf fundraiser aims to raise funds for local food rescue

A three-day-old calf named Honey is the focus of Fouts Farm's second annual Kiss the Calf fundraiser, which aims to raise $5,000 for Seven Valleys Health Coalition's food rescue program and will be livestreamed Feb. 13.

A three-day-old calf named Honey is helping raise money through Fouts Farm's Kiss the Calf fundraiser. The event is in its second year and aims to collect $5,000 for Seven Valleys Health Coalition. Julia Fouts started the fundraiser after learning of a similar event during an internship at the William H. Miner Agricultural Institute. Seven Valleys Health Coalition was founded in 1994 and incorporated in 2001 and has worked on community health needs for more than 25 years. Key details: - The event aims to raise $5,000 for Seven Valleys Health Coalition's programs, with community leaders promoting the campaign. - Organizers have said that once the goal is reached, volunteers will kiss the calf during a live-streamed event. - Funds from the fundraiser will primarily support Seven Valleys' food rescue program, which recovers and redistributes unneeded food from establishments and factories. - Since 2025, Seven Valleys Food Rescue has recovered over 48,000 pounds of food and purchased around 58,000 pounds, equal to roughly 123,000 meals distributed. - Avery McCloud, project manager for Seven Valleys Food Rescue, said the fundraising helps cover operational costs such as snow plowing, rent, and utilities. - The Kiss the Calf event is scheduled to be live-streamed Feb. 13 on the coalition's Facebook page and Instagram, and the organization accepts donations through its website. Summary: The fundraiser is intended to add to Seven Valleys' food rescue resources and help cover operational and unexpected costs. The public goal is $5,000 and the kiss is set to be livestreamed on Feb. 13; further fundraising progress was not reported.