By Sue Thackeray
Magnolia’s very own Biggest Loser won big for the Montgomery County Food Bank, delivering a massive donation of 30,000 pounds of food for the local food pantry Tuesday.
Mark Cornelison, a contestant on the 13th season of the hit reality weight-loss show “The Biggest Loser,” received the award for winning one of the weekly challenges on the show. His prize — 30,000 pounds of Newman’s Own food products — arrived at the Montgomery County Food Bank Tuesday.
Cornelison, a youth pastor at Faith Bible Church in The Woodlands, weighed in at nearly 300 pounds when he and his 19-year-old son, Chism, signed up as contestants on the popular NBC television show. By the time he was eliminated, Cornelison was down to a svelte 196 pounds.
Cornelison said he had already lost a significant amount of weight on the show and was beginning to grow weary after weeks away from his family. However, when he learned the massive food donation was the prize for winning the specific challenge, he knew he had to do whatever possible to come in first-place that day. “Man, as soon as I saw it, I knew that was going to be mine to win because I wanted this one,” he said.
The task wasn’t easy, but a determined Cornelison made the 150 individual trips to carry the 15- and 20-pound boxes of food stacked on pallets to the nearby tractor trailer in just 42 minutes.
Chism Cornelison had already been eliminated from the show by the time the challenge took place, but told the crowd gathered Tuesday at the Montgomery County Food Bank, had he still been a contestant he would have given his father a run for his money to capture such an important prize.
Cornelison may not have won the million-dollar prize or been named the Biggest Loser, but securing the massive donation for his local food bank was a massive win for him and thousands of Montgomery County residents who depend on the Montgomery County Food Bank.
The donation of sauces, salad dressing and cereal will help the MCFB and its 51 member agencies and pantries fill the more than 30,000 food requests they receive each month.
Conroe Mayor Webb Melder stressed the importance of the food bank as he spoke during Tuesday’s donation ceremony “No matter what a person’s circumstances may be,” Melder said. “The world looks better to all of us when our stomach is full.”
Tuesday’s food donation will not be the end of the Cornelison’s efforts to give back their community using the lessons learned on the Biggest Loser ranch. Starting on Thursday, May 17, Mark and Chism Cornelison will host a 10-week fitness and nutrition program at Faith Bible Church in The Woodlands. The program is free, but participants must pre-register on the church website at www.faithbiblonline.org.
“For anyone who says, ‘It’s time. I’m ready to start making that change in my life,’ this is going to be a kick start for that,” said Mark Cornelison.
For more information about the Montgomery County Food Bank, visit www.montgomerycountyfoodbank.com.
