Media

Hunger Action Month fundraiser aims to collect $125,000 for the Weekend Backpack Program

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment’s Alice 95.5 will kick off the 16th annual Hungerthon radio-thon Friday morning in hopes of raising $125,000 for The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program, which provides food insecure children with a backpack full of nutritious, child-friendly food items to take home over the weekends.

Kevin Howard and Liz Delany of Alice 95.5 will host the four-day, community-wide event for nearly 30 hours, during Hunger Action Month — Friday, Sept. 5 through Monday, Sept. 8 — asking listeners to help sponsor Weekend Backpacks. Listeners can also tune in online at alice955.com or on smartphones and tablets by downloading the iHeartRadio app.

Event hours are 6 a.m.­–7 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday, 12–4 p.m. Sunday and 6–10 a.m. Monday. Listeners can call 417-577-7955 or toll free 800-757-9550 to make a pledge, or donate at the event outside Clear Channel, located at the Historic Tower Theater near Glenstone and Sunshine in Springfield.

For a donation of $300, or $25 monthly, a child will receive two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, two snacks, drinks and hygiene items every single weekend of an entire school year. Donors can also sponsor a child for a semester at $150, or 12.50 monthly.

There are 46 southwest Missouri schools in 14 counties that benefit from Ozarks Food Harvest’s Weekend Backpack Program, which now distributes 55,000 bags — or 330,000 meals — annually.

Signature business and foundation sponsors who are matching donated backpacks include MassMutual Financial Group, The Musgrave Foundation, Peck’s Insurance & Financial Services, Springfield Grocer Company, SRC Holdings, Taylor Communications and the Tal & Rosalie O’Reilly Wooten Family Foundation and Yahweh’s Place of Cedarville, MO.

Family Pharmacy and Sonic are returning as event sponsors as well as many other local businesses.

Last year’s event raised $128,901 — enough to provide about 420 children in need with six nutritious meals every weekend for the entire school year. Since 1999, more than $1 million has been raised through Hungerthon.

To learn more, go to ozarksfoodharvest.org or alice955.com. Community members can donate to Hungerthon online outside of event hours at alice955.com, keyword Hungerthon. Find out more about local Hunger Action Month activities at ozarksfoodharvest.org/HAM14.html.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest   The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 200 organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank distributes 12.5 million meals annually to more than 260,000 unduplicated individuals. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest