As it wraps up its final week of its eighth summer, the Powell Summer Foodservice Program, which provides free lunches for children, has hit a new milestone. 

Travis Tucker, the director of nutrition services at Powell Valley Healthcare, told the PVHC board of directors at Monday’s meeting that this year’s program has served roughly 25% of the amount of meals served the seven previous years combined. 

“We’re seeing record numbers this year,” he said. “I think as of today, we pretty much hit close to 10,000 meals with the rest of this week to go. We haven’t seen that number even during Covid.”

Tucker said earlier in the summer that the changes they’ve made this year, including having staggered times at the two locations, Homesteader Park and Southside Park. 

“You and your group should be commended,” PVHC board chair RJ Kost said. “I’ve talked to a couple of the kids that are servers for you and they’re so happy to do it. It’s fun to listen to their excitement about being able to help with this … Even though it’s a lot of work, they just love doing it.”

The program ends Friday in usual extravagant fashion with a community barbecue.

“We’re going to go out with a bang,” Tucker said. “We’ve invited the community, the EMTs, the firemen to do some educational stuff, the police they have on hand, two life flight helicopters, we’re hopeful that they’ll land.”

Last year the two helicopters were called to an emergency before they could arrive, but Tucker went ahead and got the city permit necessary to bring them back. 

The event is Friday at noon at Homesteader Park.