The annual Great Gorge Melt to benefit the Columbia Gorge Food Bank will take place again throughout the month of March. It started in 2024 with a handful of restaurants selling grilled cheese sandwiches with a portion of the proceeds going to the regional food bank that serves pantries in Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman counties. Last year the Great Gorge Melt expanded to include quesadillas, and this year Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s Leah Hall says it’s been opened up to the imagination of 26 participating restaurants. A full list of the restaurants participating in the Great Gorge Melt in Hood River, The Dalles, Cascade Locks, Mosier, Tygh Valley, and Portland is available at the Columbia Gorge Food Bank Facebook page.