Volunteers at this weekend’s Mile of Cans fundraiser went the extra distance, bringing in 19,624 food items for the West Hills Food Pantry.

The 15th annual event, which is the Moon-based food pantry’s largest fundraiser, aims each year to gather roughly 16,000 canned goods — enough to stretch a mile when lined up side-by-side.

Event organizer Judy Littell said pantry volunteers are thankful to the community for its donation efforts.

The fundraiser, which took place for the first time on the grounds of the pantry at Sharon Community Presbyterian Church, kicked off at 10 a.m. Saturday when volunteers went door-to-door in Moon Township neighborhoods collecting canned goods. Area businesses, churches and students in the Moon Area School District also contributed to the effort.  

Volunteers set up donating stations at Kuhn’s Market and Coraopolis Cash Market to gather food. Participants spent the chilly Saturday afternoon assembling a line of canned goods that snaked from the corner of Carnot Road to the pantry's door, where the hours-long process of sorting the food took place. 

Pantry Director Sandy Hershberger said donations have declined this year while the pantry's clientele has steadily grown, adding greater importance to the event. 

Hershberger said the pantry's new location did not hurt the event, which in years past has been held on Thorn Run Road. 

"We've gotten a lot of compliments about the new location," Hershberger said. "People seem to like having everything right here around the pantry." 

The pantry serves families in need from the Moon Township, Crescent, Neville Island and Coraopolis communities.