Marana, Arizona
The last check from the late Mayor Ed Honea’s political campaign account is being donated to the Marana Food Bank & Community Resource Center.
Over the last few months of his life, Honea talked about helping the food bank in any way possible. One of those ways he helped out was by being part of the group that helped open it. Honea, Town Manager Terry Rozema, Councilwoman Patti Comerford, Councilman John Officer, Clint & Tami Peek, and a few people from the Sahuarita Food Bank sat down to discuss the future of the food bank when the idea emerged to have some of the people from Sahuarita’s food bank come and help run the Marana food bank.
“Part of the reason that happened was Tom Murphy, the mayor of Sahuarita and Ed were really good friends. So Ed reached out to Tom knowing they had a pretty successful food bank, we wanted to pick their brain and before you know it we hired Carlos (Valles) to be a co-director of both places and brought the board on and we opened the Marana Food Bank December of 2023” said Board Member Clint Peek.
Once Honea knew there would be money left over from his campaign account the only place he wanted it to go was the food bank.
“He wanted any money that was left over in his account to be donated to the Marana Food Bank. He was the one that brought us all together,” said Peek.
The check total was $12,851.26, which is enough to help purchase the property the food bank is sitting on.
“This nearly $13,000 gets us over the mark to purchase the property so that way we can continue Ed’s wish and legacy here in the Marana community for many, many, many, many more decades,” said Executive Director Carlos Valles.
The amount needed to purchase the property was $220,000. Fundraising to help purchase the property began in September last year. Honea’s donation has now secured the food bank’s future in the community.
This donation wouldn’t be possible without getting approval from Honea’s children, Tiffany & Whit Honea, who fully endorsed the decision to donate to the food bank, fulfilling their father’s wish.
“They knew that’s what their dad’s wishes were which was to donate that money to the food bank and without Ed spearheading that there would be no Marana Food Bank,” said Peek.
