Belfry Girl Scout troop talks about what they’re offering this year and where you can get them.

The post It’s Cookie Season! appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

KSP Post 9 collected food and monetary donations Friday at the Food City in South Williamson.

The post Post 9 kicks off Cram the Cruiser event appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

ABINGDON, Va. – Gabe Bowling, a courtesy clerk for the Food City in Louisa, recently won the Kentucky Best Bagger competition. The contest included 13 contestants and took place in October in Hazard. Bowling received a $250 cash prize, along with an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas, Nev., where he will compete for the national title at the National Grocer’s Association Convention in February.

“NGA hosts a premier event featuring only the most talented baggers throughout the country,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “It’s a tremendous honor to qualify as a participant.”

Each year, National Grocer’s Association hosts their annual Best Bagger Competition during their annual convention. Baggers from across the nation compete for the coveted title of “America’s Best Bagger.” The 2026 convention will take place in February in Las Vegas. Contestants are judged on speed, bag-building technique, weight distribution between bags, style, attitude, and appearance.

Bowling, age 18, joined the Food City team in June of this year. He is currently a senior at Lawerence County High School.

“Food City is extremely proud to be represented by such an outstanding, talented young individual. Gabe is an asset to our company and our region,” says Gordon Trivette, Food City District Manager.

NGA’s mission is to “champion the independent grocery industry through advocacy, collaboration, education, services, and connections.” According to NGA, “Bagging has been an important step for many supermarket employees who have pursued long and rewarding careers in the grocery industry. The National Grocers Association Best Bagger Championship features retailers with infectious company pride and an enthusiastic commitment to customer service. The first Best Bagging contest was held in 1987 in Dallas, Texas. The “Texas-Oklahoma Checkout Shootout” featured two contestants and former NFL Quarterback Terry Bradshaw as the emcee. Since then, NGA has branded and grown the event to feature more than 25 state bagging contestants.” For more information, visit their website at www.nationalgrocers.org.

The post Louisa Food City employee named Kentucky’s ‘Best Bagger’ appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

ABINGDON, Va. – Since 1992, Food City has been teaming up with their valued customers to host their annual Race Against Hunger campaign, which raises a substantial amount of money for local hunger relief organizations.

“Hunger is a serious problem throughout our region and our Race Against Hunger program provides vital support to numerous hunger relief organizations throughout our market area,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City’s president and chief executive officer.

This year’s program will begin on Nov. 5 and continue through Dec. 2. Food City customers are invited to make a $1, $3, or $5 contribution as they checkout or round up their order total to the next dollar amount. Customers shopping online will also have the opportunity to make an online contribution. All proceeds raised will benefit local hunger relief organizations. Approximately 4 meals are provided for every dollar donated.

“Millions of Americans need food assistance each year. Food City’s Race Against Hunger program is one way we can help those in need right here in our own community,” says Kevin Stafford, Food City vice president of marketing.

“Thanks to the support of our loyal customers and associates, last year’s program raised over $450,000 and we hope to raise even more this year to benefit our friends and neighbors in need,” says Smith.

The post Food City kicks off annual ‘Race Against Hunger’ appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

ABINGDON, Va. – Food City has once again pledged $800,000 in contributions for the upcoming school year. With Food City’s School Bucks Challenge, it’s easy to earn reward points. For every $1 you spend, using your Food City ValuCard, you’ll receive one point.

“Our Food City School Bucks Program has provided much-needed support for schools across our market area. Our School Bucks Challenge makes points collection quick and easy,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.

The 2025-26 School Bucks Challenge begins Sept. 3 and continues through May 5, 2026. To ensure your points credit to the school of your choice, simply go online to https://www.foodcity.com/schoolbucks to link your Food City ValuCard to your preferred school.

Food City has pledged $800,000 for the upcoming school year. School allocations are based upon the percentage of customer purchases assigned to each school. Schools can monitor their progress online at foodcity.com.

“Food City is committed to supporting the education of our youth,” said Smith. “Since the program’s inception, we’ve awarded over $23,700,000 in much-needed educational equipment and tools to more than a thousand participating area schools”.

For more information about the new Food City School Bucks Challenge, please contact your local school, visit foodcity.com or contact the Food City School Bucks Coordinator, Lisa Johnson at 1-800-232-0174.

Headquartered in Abingdon, Va., K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 161 retail outlets throughout

The post With new school year, Food City kicks offs new School Bucks Challenge appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

ABINGDON, Va. — Each year, Food City’s School Bucks program awards $800,000 in contributions to more than a thousand area schools. Company officials are currently in the process of presenting checks from their 2024-2025 School Bucks program to participating schools.

“Food City is committed to supporting the education of our youth. Our Food City School Bucks Program provides much-needed support to schools across our market area. Since the program’s inception, we’ve awarded over $22.9 million to participating schools,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.

School allocations are based upon the percentage of customer purchases assigned to their school. They can monitor their progress biannually online at foodcity.com.

The 2025-2026 School Bucks program begins September 3, 2025 and continues through May 5, 2026. For every $1 customers spend using their Food City ValuCard, their designated school will receive 1 School Buck point. To ensure your points credit to the school of your choice, simply visit foodcity.com/schoolbucks to link your Food City ValuCard to your preferred school.

For more information about Food City’s School Bucks program, contact your local school, visit foodcity.com or contact the Food City School Bucks Coordinator, Lisa Johnson at 1-800-232-0174.

The post Food City awards $800K in School Bucks appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

KINGSPORT, Tenn. — Kris Kringle will be riding the rails once again this weekend, as the Santa Train will wind its way through the mountains of Appalachia for the 82nd time.

The Santa Train is an annual trek through the hills, delivering 15 tons of toys to children all along the 110-mile route. This year’s Santa Train will take place Saturday, Nov. 23.

As always, this year’s Santa Train will begin at Shelby Yard in Pike County at 6 a.m., with stops in Marrowbone at 6:20 a.m. and Elkhorn City at 7:05 a.m. From there, the train crosses into Virginia for 10 more stops, before ending in Kingsport, Tenn., around 3 p.m.

The Santa Train is presented by CSX, with support from Food City, Appalachian Power, the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and the Soles 4 Souls charity.

The post Santa Train returns this Saturday appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Food City shared the results of this year’s “sneaker” campaign by donating over half a million dollars to Breakthrough T1D.

Breakthrough T1D, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which has become the leading type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization since its founding in 1970.

During the sneaker campaign, which ran for four weeks in May, customers can purchase paper sneakers which are hung up in the store by making a donation to Breakthrough T1D. All of the money collected is then turned over to the organization.

“Diabetes is a serious issue facing many of our associates, our loyal customers and their family members and we are proud to be able to partner with Breakthrough T1D to help find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “Thanks to the generosity of our loyal customers and associates, Food City continues to be Breakthrough T1D’s largest supporter in the East Tennessee market, having raised over $5.1 million over the past decade.”

The post Food City customers donate to diabetes research, advocacy appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

ABINGDON, Va. – Food City was recently recognized with the Gold MyPlate Champion achievement for the grocery retailer’s participation in the MyPlate National Strategic Partnership and for their promotion of the MyPlate program.

“We’re committed to the communities we serve. Our team works hard to provide our customers and associates with the information necessary to make more informed dietary choices,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.

Sponsored by the USDA Center for Nutrition, the MyPlate program promotes the health benefits that can be achieved by making small dietary changes over time, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy milk and yogurt.

Food City highlighted MyPlate messaging through media segments, health fairs, and community education events. The dietitian team integrated key topics to create a virtual store tour presentation and recipe booklet to support customers shopping MyPlate at Food City.

“The USDA MyPlate provides a simple and straightforward guide to build a balanced plate. By sharing this message in the grocery store we can empower people to explore how food impacts their mood, energy, and health status. The dietitian team at Food City can offer support for diet education, but the biggest impact is giving guidance for what foods to choose and how to incorporate them for better health,” says Kirby M. Stanton, Food City registered dietitian. “We are honored to be part of the MyPlate partnership and provide nutrition guidance to the communities we serve.”

For more information about using MyPlate at Food City, visit the “Diet and Lifestyle” page at www.foodcity.com.

The post Food City receives Gold MyPlate Champion achievement appeared first on Mountain Top Media.

After the pandemic forced Santa Train to hold a drive-thru event the past two years, Saint Nick’s annual trip down the rails is back on track.

CSX previously announced that this year’s Santa Train would also be a drive-thru event, not because of the pandemic this time, but due to staff shortages. However, with improvements in staffing and support from the community, organizers announced Tuesday the Santa Train will be returning to the rails.

The Santa Train will take place Nov. 19 and follow its traditional route, beginning at Shelby Yard near Pikeville and traveling 110 miles to Kingsport, Tennessee, with several stops along the way for Santa to hand out presents. More details about stops and other information will be released in the days leading up to the event.

This year marks the Santa Train’s 80th year.

The post Santa Train will ride the rails again appeared first on Mountain Top Media.