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

It was the culmination of a months-long campaign.

Scores of volunteers on Nimitz Highway between Ward Avenue and Aloha Tower implored motorists who slowed down to drop cash into their long-handled nets.

Meanwhile a rock band played in front of Restaurant Row, pumping up the volunteers.

Speaking before a rally at Restaurant Row yesterday afternoon, Linda Chu Takayama, chairwoman 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 in 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 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 and year round, she said.