Media

Hunger Action Month fundraiser aims to collect $250,000 for the Weekend Backpack Program

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest and iHeartRadio Springfield will kick off the 24th annual Hungerthon radiothon Friday morning with the goal of raising $250,000 for The Food Bank’s Weekend Backpack Program. This program provides nearly 1,600 local children with six nutritious meals each weekend throughout the school year.

Clint “Girlie” Gerlek, Jennifer “Hemmy” Hemmer and Sarah Green of iHeartRadio will host the four-day Hunger Action Month event from Friday, Sept. 9 through Monday, Sept. 12 asking listeners to help sponsor kids for the Weekend Backpack Program. To listen to Hungerthon, participants can tune in to Alice 95.5, US97, 100.5 The Wolf, 105.9 KGBX or download the iHeartRadio app.

To make a pledge, listeners can call the Hy-Vee Hunger Hotline at 417-890-5429 or donate securely online at ozarksfoodharvest.org/donate/hungerthon. For a donation of $360, a child will receive a bag with two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, drinks and snacks every weekend for an entire school year. Donors can also sponsor a child for a semester for $180.

Ozarks Food Harvest’s Weekend Backpack Program provides nearly 58,000 food bags annually to more than 60 southwest Missouri schools in 17 counties. One in 5 children face hunger in The Food Bank’s 28-county service area, especially on the weekends when school meals aren’t available.

The community can also help local children through “Hungerthon Day at McDonalds” on September 13, as McDonald’s will be donating a portion of sales to benefit the Weekend Backpack Program.

Backpacks donations will be matched by individuals, businesses and foundations including A-1 Guarantee Roofing, Animal Health Center Hospital and Clinic, AECI, CoxHealth, Cronkhite Homes, Harter House, Heart of America Beverage Company, McDonald’s, Positronic Industries, Ross Construction, Ron and Janice Penney, Keith and Sandra Stover, SRC Community Relations Committee and Yahweh’s Place at Cedarville. Several local businesses are also serving as event sponsors including Air Services All Services, Hy-Vee and Wonders of Wildlife.

To learn more about Hungerthon or other Hunger Action Month activities, visit hungeractionmonth.info.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest — The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest is the Feeding America food bank for southwest Missouri, serving 270 hunger-relief organizations across 28 Ozarks counties. The Food Bank reaches 50,000 individuals monthly and provides more than 20 million meals annually. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org, facebook.com/ozarksfoodharvest, or twitter.com/ozksfoodharvest.