POCATELLO — During the 10 years that Barrie Hunt has organized the annual Cranksgiving food drive, there have been no shortage of inspirational stories about people going the extra mile to make sure everyone in the community has a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.

But this year there was a donation that Hunt, owner of Barrie’s Ski and Sports, said was the most inspirational he’s ever seen.

Two local children donated $1,600 to Cranksgiving in what Hunt said is the largest individual monetary contribution in the history of the food drive.

The money originated with the young brother and sister’s grandfather, who gave it to them for getting good grades in school. The children then decided to put it to good use by donating it to Cranksgiving.

The money helped Hunt purchase turkeys during a year when the need has never been greater at the Idaho Foodbank, which distributes Cranksgiving’s turkeys to those who otherwise would go hungry on Thanksgiving.

“I know that these children and grandpa and the parents, they don’t have all the money in the world, so they sacrificed an awful lot to make sure that somebody has food on their table for Thanksgiving,” Hunt said. “That was very impressive.”

Hunt said it’s been heart warming to watch the community come together to make this year’s 10th annual Cranksgiving happen.

Hunt said his inspiration for starting Cranksgiving came from when NBC’s “Today Show” showcased a food drive that utilized bicycles. That food drive was called Cranksgiving and Hunt decided to replicate the event in Pocatello.

“Every Thanksgiving we raise enough money or people donate turkeys and bring them into the store, and we take them down to the food bank on the Saturday before Thanksgiving,” Hunt said. “We put it together with a meal and hand it out to families in need. It has been going on for 10 years.

Hunt continued, “Now this year, because of the economy, we were told at the food bank that they’re going to try to feed 1,500 families and that’s a big group.”

Hunt said that in the past they’ve collected 200 to 300 turkeys for Cranksgiving but this year they brought around 1,000 turkeys to the food bank because of the increased need.

Every Saturday before Thanksgiving Hunt and his crew gather the turkeys and receive a police escort to the Idaho Foodbank. The turkeys are dropped off there and combined with additional food items to create full Thanksgiving meals that are then distributed to families and individuals in need.

Over the years, countless local residents and businesses have contributed money and turkeys to the Cranksgiving cause.

Hunt said the food drive is inspirational to be part of. He remembers one year how a young man at the Idaho State University institute asked fellow students for their lunch money and collected $200 to donate to Cranksgiving.

During another year, an elderly woman carrying a 20-pound turkey bicycled to Barrie’s store from her Chubbuck home in the middle of a snowstorm on the day of the turkey delivery. She dropped the turkey off and then got back on her bicycle and followed the truck transporting the turkeys to the food bank in the snowstorm.

One year the teachers and students in the ISU automotive technology program decided to take the proceeds they received from the annual Chrome in the Dome car show and donate all the funds to Cranksgiving.

Because of the great need for turkeys this year, Hunt reached out to everyone he knows, including individuals he bicycles with, to secure as many donations as possible.

Hunt said he’s a firm believer in paying it forward.

“I’m part of the community,” Hunt said. “I love the community and the people in it. I’ve lived here all my life, I do my business here, they support me and I try to support those in need. That is why I’m still in business. If we support people that support us and help those in need, that always comes back tenfold.”