Media

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Evangel’s annual Christmas Concert fundraiser for Ozarks Food Harvest resulted in the University’s biggest turnout – and largest donation to The Food Bank.

On Dec. 4, more than 2,200 guests and performers attended Evangel’s Christmas Festival Concert, according Dr. Michael Kolstad, music department chair.

We collected 2,543 pounds of nonperishable food items this year, said Kolstad. ― We also collected $1,400 in donations, which itself will provide 7,000 meals.

The donations will be divided among Ozarks Food Harvest’s hunger relief partners.

Hosted by KY3 anchor Steve Grant and Stormteam meteorologist Brandon Beck, both graduates of EU, the concert featured performances by Evangel’s premier music groups and the New Covenant Academy Choir. David Smith, director of theatre arts, did a dramatic presentation as a shepherd telling the miracle story of Christ’s birth.

Evangel’s SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) team partnered with the Music Department in marketing and promoting the collection of canned goods for the Ozarks Food Harvest. They are involved in a yearlong ― Let’s Can Hunger‖ initiative, creating projects that tackle hunger problems in the Ozarks. The initiative will conclude this spring, with all the SIFE teams reporting their collective results.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest—The Food Bank
Ozarks Food Harvest collects and distributes more than five million pounds of food annually to a network of more than 350 hunger relief agencies across 29 counties in southwest Missouri. It also offers direct relief through its Kids Cafe, Weekend Backpack Program, Club F.U.N. and Mobile Food Pantry programs. For more information about The Food Bank, visit www.ozarksfoodharvest.org.

About Evangel University
Evangel University is a private, Christian university that offers more than 100 undergraduate academic programs and eight master’s programs. Evangel draws nearly 2,000 students from all 50 states and abroad.