Blue Cross/Blue Shield donates cash to Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank

Baton Rouge, La (NBC33) — Today, Blue Cross/Blue Shield handed over $6,000 to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

The cash comes after the insurance company's "Pound for Pound" challenge. The company wanted its employees to lose weight as needed, and for each pound lost Blue Cross/Blue Shield donated the cash equivalent to a pound of food.

"It's a good time for us because of all the holiday rush has subsided, and people don't think about us much now after the first of the year,” stated Mike Manning with the GBR Food Bank. “We still face the issue of hunger on a daily basis. It's going to be a tremendous help. "

The food bank director tells us the $6,000 will help them make nearly 42,000 meals.

Nearly all of the employees participated in the weight loss program.