Giant potato giveaway comes to Tacoma Dome

TACOMA -- Potato farmers of Washington are doing what they can to help those struggling amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The Washington State Potato Commission plans to give out 200,000 pounds of potatoes Thursday at the Tacoma Dome.

The potato commission says the potatoes were meant to go to restaurants and other places to be turned into french fries and other products. However, demand has changed since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

The potatoes will be available to anyone who needs them starting at 11 a.m.

The commission is warning people these won't necessarily look like most store-bought spuds, but are tasty nonetheless.

"These are not like the pretty potatoes you see in the grocery stores but they still taste great and are highly nutritious," the commission said on Facebook Monday. "These potatoes have been washed and bagged but have not been sorted for size or quality."

The commission has set up a GoFundMe account to help cover the cost of the giveaway.

Thursday's event is part of the commission's plans to give away 1 million pounds of potatoes.