Albert Lea mail carriers gathered just over 14,000 pounds of food Saturday for the National American Letter Carriers Association food drive.

Albert Lea has participated in NALC’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive for 21 years, according to coordinator Scott Pirsig. The record year was 2009, when 16,709 pounds of food were collected.

The final count for this year was 14,014 pounds of food, according to carrier Troy Hagen, who helped out with the drive this year as Pirsig was in Minot, North Dakota, on Saturday.

“People in the community stepped up,” Hagen said. “It was another successful food drive.”

Hagen said post office carriers, management and clerks all pitched in to help with the drive and it was an “outstanding job.” He noted it wasn’t the best year, but it was above average for the food drive.

Austin carriers gathered 13,701 pounds of food. Last year, Albert Lea raised 15,562 pounds of food and Austin raised just under 9,000 pounds.

The competition between Albert Lea and Austin goes back to 2007 and Albert Lea has won every year except for 2011.

Hagen thanked the community for pitching in, calling this year another successful year.

Nationwide, the food will be weighed at the end of May and the final number of pounds will be released in early June, according to the carriers association.