Airport Fast Park, Roadrunner Food Bank Join to Battle Albuquerque Food Shortages

Off-Site Airport Parking Company Organizes Food Drive in 11 markets

Airport Fast Park, an off-site airport parking company located at the Albuquerque International Sunport, is offering its customers a parking discount in exchange for donated non-perishable food items. The food drive will take place from Monday Oct. 6, through Friday Oct. 31. All items will be donated to Roadrunner Food Bank, a member of Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest), the largest food bank network in the country. Travelers parking at the facility will receive $1 off per non-perishable food item donated with a maximum discount of $3 per stay at the facility. Customers may combine other Fast Park coupons with this discount.

"Food drives hosted by organizations such as Airport Fast Park Albuquerque are coming at a critical time for us. The state of the economy means that more people in our community will need access to food," said Melody Wattenbarger, executive director at Roadrunner Food Bank. "Fluctuating fuel prices, increased food costs, and heating expenses will force many who have not previously needed food assistance to seek it. We are so pleased that businesses such as Airport Fast Park are willing to host this food drive on our behalf. We hope that more organizations sign on to do this type of impactful work to help us continue to provide food to New Mexico's hungry."

More than 340,000 New Mexicans are at risk of hunger, and last year, approximately 240,000 families received food assistance through the Roadrunner Food Bank and its network of partner agencies. Food banks across the country are struggling to keep up with demand this year, according to a survey conducted by Feeding America. More residents are in need of help due to the economic slowdown, rising food prices and cutbacks at their jobs.

"We're all feeling the effects of the current economy in one way or another," said Melanie Chavez, chief marketing officer at Fast Park. "As a community, we need to assist those who need the extra help right now. Food banks all over the country are in dire need of support and we hope to contribute as much as we can for those who need it most in New Mexico."

Fast Park has partnered with Feeding America's member food banks in each of its off-site airport parking facilities across the country.

Albuquerque travelers are asked to bring their non-perishable food items to the airport parking facility and give them to a cashier upon exit. The cashier will then apply the appropriate food drive discount (up to $3).

Fast Park's Albuquerque airport parking facility located at the Albuquerque International Sunport (2801 Yale Blvd. S.E., Albuquerque, NM 87106) provides a shuttle service that, unlike other parking facilities, conveniently picks up patrons directly outside their car door. Additional Albuquerque amenities include covered parking, complimentary jump starts and flat-tire assistance, free bottled water and newspapers, car wash and detail services and free luggage assistance to get the whole family onto the shuttle as quickly as possible. Airportfastpark.com offers special Internet pricing for $2.76 per day (excluding tax) at the Albuquerque facility.

FastPark, headquartered in Cincinnati, is an off-site airport parking company operating 18 facilities in 12 markets throughout the country. Business units of FastPark include Airport Fast Park, FastPark & Relax and Park Place. Airport Fast Park facilities are located in Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Baltimore (two facilities); Cincinnati; Cleveland (two facilities); Memphis, Tenn.; and Miami. A Park Place facility is located in Cleveland. Fast Park & Relax facilities are located in Cincinnati; Houston (three facilities -- two under different name); Milwaukee; Orlando; Raleigh, N.C.; and Tucson, Ariz. The self-serve airport parking service is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, with instant shuttle service transporting customers to their specific terminal.