Three boroughs will compete for the trophy, but the real winner of the Battle of the Boroughs food drive will be the local community.

After the first Battle of the Boroughs food drive was a resounding success in 2025, Parkesburg, Atglen and Christiana are once again collaborating for a friendly competition to benefit the Octorara Area Food Cupboard (OAFC).

It began on June 24 and will run through Tuesday, Aug. 4, which doubles as National Night Out.

"It felt really good to see the community come together and have a lot of fun," said April Brade of the Parkesburg Parks and Recreation Committee.

Each borough has one individual designated as its battle leader. Brade fills that role for Parkesburg, while Jennifer Grossman reprises her role for Atglen's Parks and Recreation Committee. Christiana's leadership has changed hands this year, going from the Parks and Recreation Committee to the borough itself, with administrative assistant Jennifer Semple taking over as battle leader.

A total of 5,654 pounds of food was collected last year for the OAFC. Parkesburg led the way with 2,141 pounds; Atglen and Christiana finished with 1,859 and 1,654 pounds, respectively.

"We love the fact that everybody got really into it," Brade said. "I have friends in both other communities, so I would nudge them and text them on. Then they would post on Facebook, like, 'Come on, don't let them win.'"

New for this year's drive, a traveling trophy has been created, featuring an individual standing on top of two cans. The trophy is living in Parkesburg Borough Hall until either Atglen or Christiana eventually wins the crown.

"My husband and I crafted this lovely tacky gold trophy made out of cans," Brade said. "And then we have an action figure hero with their hands up."

In Parkesburg, food will be collected at Borough Hall, 315 W. First Ave.; Parkesburg Free Library, 105 West St.; Flowers in Bloom, 213 Main St.; Salon Boninu, 428 W. First Ave.; Fill This Cup, 306 W. First Ave.; Keystone Valley Fire Department (during daytime hours), 329 W. First Ave.; and the Parkesburg VFW Post 4480, 406 W. Fourth Ave.

For Atglen, food will be collected at Borough Hall, 120 Main St.; Atglen Public Library, 121 Main St.; Bird's Nest Salon, 413 Valley Ave.; and Penningtonville Presbyterian Church, 406 Main St.

Christiana's dropoff locations are Borough Office, 10 W. Slokom Ave.; Moores Memorial Library, 9 W. Slokom Ave.; and Christiana Beer and Beverage Outlet, 360 PA-41.

Every week, items will be taken to the cupboard and weighed in. Food was also collected at various community events, such as Parkesburg 250 and Atglen's 150th anniversary event.

The most needed items at the OAFC are pasta sauce; box pasta; canned fruit; noodle and rice sides; ketchup; mustard; mayo; canned beets; canned vegetables; canned soups; peanut butter; jelly; and baby items like diapers, wipes and baby food.

The drive started last year as Brade's brainchild. After garnering support from Parkesburg Borough, she went to parks and recreation meetings in both Atglen and Christiana to convince borough leadership to support the drive.

Both Brade and Grossman said that doing the drive over the summertime was a very intentional choice. With kids out of school for the summer and no longer receiving one or two free meals per day, local food pantries are forced to carry the brunt of the load.

"There's just a big need for food over the summertime," Grossman said. "A lot of people do drives at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, but there's not a lot that happens throughout the summer."