It took 2,500 volunteers hitting the streets in orange T-shirts, waving their signs and fishing nets, but the Hawaii Fodbank today met its goal of $450,000 in monetary donations and 550,000 pounds of food in its 20th Annual Food Drive.

Speaking before a rally at Restaurant Row, Linda Chu Takayama, chair of the board for the Foodbank, announced that the drive, which started in January, had been a huge success despite tough economic times.

"It's been a long road," she said. The 2,500 volunteers worked 300 different locations in the Honolulu area to pull it off.

"We have more than 250 agencies distributing food," she said, "and some of them report demand for food assistance is up 200 percent to 300 percent."

Last month, the Foodbank distributed more than 900,000 pounds of food, she said.

"People have really stepped up to help this year," Takayama said. "People are digging deeper."

Today was the greatest single effort in the drive. Food and money donations will still be accepted at hundreds of bank locations through May 30, she said.

For information, go to www.hawaiifoodbank.org or call 954-7870.