iLoveKickboxing collecting thousands of pounds of food for CK Food Bank

April 25 update: iLoveKickboxing raised a total of 6,926 pounds of food for Central Kitsap Food Bank, according to owner Dan Fish. “It was a huge turnout, not only from our members but from (the community),” Fish said. “I really don’t know how to put it in words. It was just great.”

Update as of 3 p.m. April 24: iLoveKickboxing collected 5,499 pounds of food for Central Kitsap Food Bank, exceeding their goal of 5,000 pounds.

SILVERDALE — iLoveKickboxing is giving back to the community, working hard to collect 5,000 pounds of food to donate to the Central Kitsap Food Bank.

“Every month, the Central Kitsap Food Bank actually provides 860 meals for families a month,” said Emily Malone with iLoveKickboxing in Silverdale. “That’s a lot of families that are getting fed through them.

“We wanted to figure out a way to be like, ‘Okay, well, we have a lot of members coming in. Why shouldn’t we give back to the community a little bit and help feed Kitsap?’ ”

Dan Fish, owner of Silverdale’s iLoveKickboxing franchise, said the CK Food Bank generally raises about 800,000 pounds of food a year.

Food is being collected at local businesses that iLoveKickboxing works with regularly, including South Pacific, Maxx Nutrition, Total Nutrition and the 19th Hole Bar and Grill, as well as their own location in Silverdale.

Donations can be made throughout the day, until 9 p.m. at iLoveKickboxing.

Donation locations include:

— iLove Kickboxing, 10516 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale. Accepting donations until 9 p.m. April 24.

— Maxx Nutrition, 10384B Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale. Open until 8 p.m. April 24.

— South Pacific Sports Bar, 218 First St., Bremerton. Open until 10 p.m. April 24.

— Total Nutrition, 5060 Wheaton Way, Bremerton. Open until 9 p.m. April 24.

— 19th Hole Bar & Grill, 2171 Erlands Point Road NW, Bremerton. Open until 2 a.m. April 25.

The Central Kitsap Food Bank provides “food at no cost in a caring and respectful manner to people in need in our community, while preserving the dignity of those we serve,” according to their website, ckfoodbank.org. They accept donations of non-perishable food items.

According to the website, the current most needed food items are sugar, peanut butter, tuna, chili and soups. They also need canned vegetables, canned fruit, ramen, tomato products, boxed dinners, instant potatoes, pasta, macaroni and cheese, cereal, crackers, gravy/seasoning mix, jelly, condiments, tea, juice and powdered drinks.

Non food items that can be donated directly to CK Food Bank include soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, facial and toilet tissue, laundry detergent, dish soap and diapers of all sizes except newborn.

For more information about iLoveKickboxing or the food drive, visit facebook.com/ilkbSilverdaleWa. For more information about the Central Kitsap Food Bank, visit ckfoodbank.org.

Michelle Beahm is a reporter with the Kitsap News Group. She can be reached at mbeahm@soundpublishing.com.

iLoveKickboxing collected food donations for Central Kitsap Food Bank this week. They exceeded their goal of 5,000 pounds of food. Dan Fish / iLoveKickboxing