Juicy news: Salvation Army and Atlantic Fresh Trading give away 1,100 watermelons in Scranton

Jim Lockwood, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Jun. 30—SCRANTON — No matter how you slice it, 1,100 watermelons will sweeten a lot of picnics.

The Salvation Army Scranton Corps and Atlantic Fresh Trading LLC of Archbald gave away 1,100 free watermelons Friday in Scranton just in time for Fourth of July family gatherings and celebrations.

Atlantic Fresh Trading again provided the bulbous, juicy fruits for the third annual "Great Watermelon Drive-Thru Giveaway" at the Salvation Army at 500 S. Washington Ave. in South Scranton.

With an average watermelon weighing about 20 pounds, 1,100 of them would tip the scales at 22,000 pounds, or 11 tons.

The watermelons were free. The distribution was set to start at 10 a.m. and continue until the supply ran out. But with vehicles lined up early in the Salvation Army parking lot and backed up along Broadway past the Lackawanna River, the giveaway got underway well before 10 a.m.

Recipients drove through the rear and side parking lot of the Salvation Army building, and volunteers placed the watermelons in the vehicles. By about 3:40 p.m., the organizations and a group of volunteers had given out all 1,100 watermelons.

"This is an opportunity for us as the Salvation Army to once again give back to the community in a different way," said Captain Neil Childs of the Salvation Army Scranton Corps. "In a time where things are always so tough, this is an opportunity just to give back in a nice way, in a way that puts a smile on people's faces and helps with the celebration of the Fourth of July."

Atlantic Fresh Trading, which has a slogan of "Eat Your Veggies," first donated watermelons to the Salvation Army in Scranton to give away two years ago during COVID-19 pandemic closures, said Jamy Rosenstein of Atlantic Fresh Trading.

His family firm and the Salvation Army repeated the watermelon giveaway last year and this year.

The watermelons were trucked from an Atlantic Fresh Trading farm in Sycamore, Georgia, where the fruits of the vine ripened a little late this year from low rainfall there, he said.

Each year, the giveaways coincided with the Fourth of July holiday or days leading up to it.

"We thought this would be a good way to raise awareness" about the Salvation Army and its mission, Rosenstein said. "It's really amazing the amount of people that they're able to help from this facility."

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter.