The USOPC, whose headquarters are in Colorado, donated items that were due to go to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics to a food bank in the state ©USOPC

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has donated food that was due to go to Tokyo for the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer to a food bank in Colorado.

Food estimated to be worth around $125,000 (£102,000, €116,000), and which was due to accompany the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams to Japan this summer has been donated to the Care and Share food bank in Colorado, reports KRDO News.

Care and Share's chief operating officer Shannon Brice said the USOPC instigated the donation by calling the Care and Share food bank.

"We rescue food from the Olympic centre normally," said Brice. 

"They thankfully made a delightful phone call for us to receive and said, 'Hey we have some food, would you like it?' And we said, 'Of course'."

Care and Share estimated they received around a tonne of food, which took up 32 pallets.

"I saw a wide variety of product that came in," Brice said.

"I saw coffee, some snack food items, and all of those things will be super valuable for our partner agencies to serve to our families.

Care and Share chief operating officer Shannon Brice said she was extremely grateful for the food donation by the USOPC ©Care and Share
Care and Share chief operating officer Shannon Brice said she was extremely grateful for the food donation by the USOPC ©Care and Share

"Being able to receive a truckloads worth of food for us right now is so important. 

"As this continues to happen and we continue to deal with this pandemic, that support of our organisation in the long-term is going to be massively critical for us to meet the need. 

"Most of the expiration is near the end of this year, which is great.

"We'll have plenty of time to turn that around.

"I think we all would have wanted the Olympics to happen.

"We probably don't want this pandemic to be happening.

"As a result of it, it's so beautiful to know that the United States Olympic Committee is able to turn that food into nourishment for our neighbours in need."