Snowbird, UT – On Thursday, Utah’s Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort will deliver to the Utah Food Bank more than 5,000 pounds of food – the equivalent of 2,500 meals – collected during the resort’s annual Customer Appreciation Days.nA precise weight will be measured at the Utah Food Bank’s new $10 million Salt Lake facility, which opened last year. Snowbird’s Customer Appreciation Days raised 5,252 pounds of food in 2009.

For the past three weekends, guests could board Snowbird’s Aerial Tram for free in exchange for a donation of one non-perishable food item. In lieu of a food donation, guests could donate at least $2 to Wasatch Adaptive Sports, a non-profit program established in 1977 to provide recreational and educational opportunities for children and adults with special needs. Snowbird officials report that Customer Appreciation Days generated $2,215 for Wasatch Adaptive Sports.

“The sunny weather mixed with weekday storms brought people out in droves and made Customer Appreciation Days a tremendous success this year,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. “Thank you to everyone who came out and supported two great causes.”

The drop-off of cans collected at Snowbird is part of the Utah Food Bank’s Holiday Food Drive, an annual effort to stock the shelves of the Utah Food Bank in preparation for the holidays and the winter months.