1982–1984
The first couple of years were tough, but they got it done. At this time they did not have access to semi-trucks, forklifts, pallets or many volunteers, so the drive happened over the course of several days.
1985
The food drive idea became officially known as Interservice Walk & Knock. The Columbian newspaper got involved by arranging for the paper bag inserts that go into the newspaper, paid sponsors, marketing, and assigned a reporter to get the word out. The Inter-Service goal of $100,000 worth of food was set and reached. That equated to 42 tons of food.
1991
The organization was officially incorporated as Interservice Walk & Knock of Clark County. The Port of Vancouver donated a warehouse to store the food. Puget Sound Truck Line and Anderson Dairy donated semi-trucks.
2002
A record 155 tons - 310,000 pounds - of donated food was achieved.
2008
Roughly 3,600 volunteers came out to help. The volunteers collected more than 20% more food from the previous year despite a 21% decrease of volunteers.
2009
The Walk & Knock Food Drive has grown to include more than 20 service clubs and organizations including: Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimists, the Clark County Amateur Radio Club, and the Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts of America.
Walk & Knock celebrated its 25th year as Clark County's largest food drive. Over the course of the last 24 years, the annual one-day drive has grown to an average collection of 132 tons (264,000 pounds) of food. The response of the community in this recession year was amazing — 4,500 volunteers collected more than 162 tons (324,000 pounds )of food, and raised a record breaking $50,000.
2010
Almost 166 tons of food — 332,000 pounds — were collected in a community-wide response to the continuing recession.
2012
Volunteers collected about 284,000 pounds of food.
2013
More than 133 tons (266,000 pounds) of food and $25,000 were collected in spite of a snowstorm and bitter cold.
2014
More than $15,000 was raised in 2014, and more than 266,000 pounds of food were collected by 4,000 volunteers.
2015
About 264,000 pounds of food and $20,000 were collected and donated to families in need through the Clark County Food Bank, bringing the total for Walk & Knock over 28 years to about 7.8 million pounds of food collected.
2016
Walk & Knock volunteers collected 252,000 pounds of food that was donated to families in need.
2017
Walk & Knock, the nation’s largest one-day community food drive, collected more than 286,000 pounds of food, a 13% increase over 2016. In addition, Walk & Knock received $15,000 in cash donations. All contributions are given to the Clark County Food Bank to help feed the needy in our community.
2018
Walk & Knock expanded its successful effort of paying high school groups to drop W&K bags on porches, earning money for their teams and clubs. In 2017, West Vancouver saw an 80% increase in donations. This year, bags were dropped in west Hazel Dell and Felida with a 13% increase in donations. Overall, more than 283,000 pounds of food were donated.
2020
Despite a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic that shut down most volunteer efforts, Walk & Knock switched gears to a Drive & Drop model in which people brought their donations to one of 10 drop sites throughout the county. More than 134,000 pounds of food were donated along with a record-shattering $110,000.
2021
Plans for a return to the porch pickup model this year were thwarted by the refusal of COVID-19 to go away. A second Drive & Drop campaign brought in 104,000 pounds of food along with $90,000.
Longtime Board member and past president Joe Pauletto received the first annual Bud Pasmore Volunteer Achievement Award.
2022
Back to our porch pickup model, we brought in over 150,000 pounds of donations.
Longtime Board member Jeff Fish received the annual Bud Pasmore Volunteer Achievement Award.
2023
For the first time in its 38-year history, Walk & Knock mailed its signature red & brown bags to 153,000 households throughout Clark County. The response was overwhelming! More than 265,000 pounds were donated.
Longtime Board member and truck coordinator Bill Lundin received the annual Bud Pasmore Volunteer Achievement Award.
2024
Again, bags were mailed out, this time to over 200,000 homes in Clark County. Despite a cold, rainy drive day, more than 250,000 pounds of food and $20,000 were donated on Walk & Knock’s 40th anniversary drive.
Longtime volunteer Kay Hust received the annual Bud Pasmore Volunteer Achievement Award.
2025
After much though and discussion, Walk & Knock’s Board of Trustees recommended and its voting members approved a change to a Drive & Drop model used during the two COVID-19 years. This big change from the traditional porch pickup model was necessary as volunteers have dropped from more than 4,000 to under 2,000. In addition, volunteers are less likely to knock on doors, and join our Board of Trustees.
Longtime Board member and two-time president Justin Wood received the annual Bud Pasmore Volunteer Achievement Award.
