By Myra Bean

The Panola Food Pantry is closed until January 2, but when it reopens it will need some food.

That’s why The Panolian is teaming up with the Harlem Globetrotters in the Panola Pantry Fill-Up drive.

To get the message out, The Panolian has been chosen to give away 40 tickets to the January 12 Harlem Globetrotter Show at The FedEx Forum.

A drawing will be held to give 20 people two tickets each on January 7.

Just fill out the entry form on page B8 and return it along with two non-perishable food items to The Panolian at 363 Highway 51 North, Batesville, across from the South Panola football stadium.

Director of the Food Pantry Marie Leland said this food drive will help the pantry “greatly.”

“I am running low, especially on dry goods,” she said. “By dry goods I mean rice, noodles, cereal and stuff like that.”

However, any and all paper goods and food donations are needed and welcome. Leland also said the pantry needs paper towels, tissue, napkins and paper items like that.

Also acceptable are staple products like sugar, meal, flour and cake mixes, along with canned goods.

The last day to enter for the drawing is Friday, January 4, but food donations for the Pantry are accepted year around.

“We stay busy all year,” Leland said.