Wade Mays (second from left) presents a plaque to Dave Martin, president of Indiana Conference UM Men, for raising $26,735, the highest amount raised by any conference for Meals for Millions. John Dockery (left), a men’s ministry specialist, and Ken Hudgins, conference prayer advocate, join in the presentation

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–– In 2012, United Methodist Men gave $179,800 to Meals for Millions, a program of the Society of Saint Andrew to feed the hungry.

Wade Mays, national director of Meals for Millions, honored Indiana Conference UM Men for giving the highest amount of money to the society in 2012. The conference provided a whopping $26,735.

The award was presented during a March 2 meeting of the National Association of Conference Presidents in Nashville.

Northern Illinois Conference was the second highest giver and the winner of the “Bud the Spud Award” for the highest percentage increase over the previous year with gifts totaling $22,715. The award honors the late Nelson L. “Bud” Curtis, who donned a potato costume to urge men to participate in “potato drops” where thousands of potatoes are bagged for food pantries.

The amount given to Meals for Millions does not include the amount of money given to support the shipping of potatoes and other produce to areas where they were bagged by volunteers for local food pantries.

The financial gifts also do not count scores of gleaning projects sponsored by UM Men in farm fields across America.