The Boss brings in $17K for Minnesota hunger relief

Bruce Springsteen performs at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

During his pair of concerts this week at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, rock star Bruce Springsteen called on fans to help fight hunger- and they answered. Fans donated more than $17,000 to Second Harvest Heartland food bank, about $6000 more than when Springsteen made a similar request at just one St. Paul concert in 2009.

The rock star has long supported hunger relief across the country, and Second Harvest was thrilled to hear he would help again, said Marsha Shotley, the food bank's chief philanthropy officer.

"His people called us up and said he was coming into town, and he was wanting to partner with us as the largest local food bank in Minnesota," Shotley said. "And of course we said yes."

Springsteen mentioned the effort on stage, and many fans took note.

"As people were coming out of the concert, they were saying, 'Oh yeah, that's what Bruce was talking about!'" said Shotley, who was at the Sunday night concert with a donation bin.

Second Harvest will use the money to buy food and transport it to local food shelves.

Second Harvest hopes to bring in at least $150,000 as part of Give to the Max Day in Minnesota. If the food bank meets that goal, it will draw an extra $150,000 in matching grants.

Though small in comparison, the money from the Springsteen concert will feed a lot of people in need.

"It's very little in the big picture," Shotley said. "But that's 51,000 meals."

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