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Hungerthon 2011 on Alice 95.5 collects $127,875 for children

Hungerthon 2011 on Alice 95.5 collects $127,875 for children

June 6, 2011

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest and Clear Channel Radio’s Alice 95.5’s 13th annual radiothon, Hungerthon, wrapped up at 10:30 this morning, collecting a grand total of $127,875 for The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program. The program provides children who rely on free and reduced meals at school, with a backpack full of nutritious foods for the weekend.

Alice 95.5 personalities Kevin Howard and Liz Delany hosted Hungerthon, beginning last Friday morning at 6 am outside of the Historic Tower Theater in Springfield. Those involved spent close to 30 hours throughout the weekend raising money for Ozarks Food Harvest.

This year’s goal of $125,000 was exceeded, providing more than 420 students with Weekend Backpack Program food bags.

Several backpacks were matched by community businesses including Great Southern, KPM, Morelock-Ross, Peck’s Insurance & Financial Services, Burgess, Hasting & Dunlop, Empire Bank, PaperWise, Signature Hardware, Taylor Communications, Springfield Grocer, Bus Andrews, Ingram Enterprises and more.

Event sponsors include Smart Chicken, Family Pharmacy and Sonic. Power Hour sponsors included Coyote’s Adobe Café (Springfield, Nixa and Dockside), Maria’s, Big Whiskey’s, Parlor 88, Backyard Burgers, Springfield Brewing Company, Mille’s, Air Services, Devo Olive Oil, Fazoli’s, Patton Alley Pub and more. The Hungerthon 2011 logo was designed by Jennifer White of Ford White Photography and Clear Channel Radio.

Thirty southwest Missouri schools participate in Ozarks Food Harvest’s Backpack Program, and approximately 30,000 backpacks were distributed last year, which included meals for two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, two snacks and drinks.

If community members were unable to participate in the community-wide event June 3-6, pledges can still be made at Ozarks Food Harvest this week or securely online at ozarksfoodharvest.org. For more information call (417) 865-3411. Event photos can be viewed at alice955.com.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest—The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America® food bank for southwest Missouri, serving more than 300 hunger relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank reaches 20,000 individuals weekly and distributes nine million pounds of food annually. Ozarks Food Harvest has a 28-year history in southwest Missouri and has had nearly one dozen member food pantries and feeding sites in Joplin, and even more in Jasper County, assisting with Joplin tornado relief for months ahead. Ozarks Food Harvest was named the 2011 Small Business of the Year by the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org and at facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest.