Med Center Health’s annual “Stuff the Turkey” food drive concludes this Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the hospital’s main campus.

The decade-plus-old food drive collects about 7,500 nonperishable food items each year for Bowling Green’s Salvation Army. It’s mostly employee-based, but the public is welcome to participate.

“It’s our way to help the community during the holiday season,” said Patrick Maloney, director of surgical services at Med Center Health and event organizer.

Every hospital department participates, plus ancillary service groups and IT, marketing and finance departments from the corporate offices. The department that brings in the most items wins a traveling turkey statue, so there has been a level of competitive excitement at the hospital these past few weeks.

“(The departments) always try to outdo each other,” Maloney said.

Each hospital unit collects items as a team. The emergency department has over 100 employees, whereas the infusion department has four or five employees. “But they all chip in and try to raise awareness and get as much as we can to help Salvation Army,” Maloney said.

The public can bring items to the hospital between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. this week, or to the hospital’s auditorium Friday morning.

Based on requests of Salvation Army, Med Center Health recommends donating canned meats, macaroni and cheese, cereals, canned soups, sugar, complete meals, other canned foods and nonperishable box food staples.

Healthy, nonperishable alternatives include peanut butter, canned beans, unsalted nuts, unsalted seeds, brown rice, quinoa, shelf-stable plant milks, unsweetened apple sauce, dried fruits (no sugar added), honey and rolled oats.

Ideally, the food drive will help Salvation Army’s shelves remain stocked for a year.

“They need foods that can last,” Maloney said.

On Friday, hospital staff will load the donations on pallets and into a truck that will take it to Salvation Army.