SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— The 26th annual Hungerthon by Ozarks Food Harvest and iHeartRadio Springfield concluded Monday afternoon, raising a total of $252,700 towards Ozarks Food Harvest’s Weekend Backpack Program.
Listeners tuned into iHeartRadio stations all weekend to donate towards the Weekend Backpack Program, which provides six meals plus drinks and snacks to kids across nearly 60 schools in 15 counties across the Ozarks each weekend during the school year. One in 5 children face hunger in southwest Missouri, especially on weekends when school meals aren’t available.
“Working with iHeartRadio to feed kids through our Weekend Backpack Program is always such a joy,” said Bart Brown, Ozarks Food Harvest’s president and CEO. “I’m thankful to everyone who tuned in during Hungerthon and donated to make sure children in the Ozarks have enough to eat on weekends.”
“Each person who donated to Ozarks Food Harvest’s Weekend Backpack Program made a difference to a child facing hunger throughout the school year, and we’re so thankful for their support and the opportunity to work with Ozarks Food Harvest to make Hungerthon happen,” said Clint “Girlie” Gerlek, VP of programming for iHeartRadio and Hungerthon host.
Last year’s event raised more than $252,000 — enough to provide more than 700 children facing hunger with a food bag every weekend for an entire school year. Since 1999, Hungerthon has raised $3.3 million to provide 2.3 million meals to children in southwest Missouri.
Businesses and individuals matched listeners’ contributions and foundations, including Arvest, Associated Electric Coop. Inc., Chase, Cox Health, Great Southern Bank, Harter House – Hollister, Hy-Vee, International Brotherhood of Electric Workers #453, McCormick & Co, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Peck’s Insurance and Financial Services, Positronic, Ross Construction Group, Stomp the Blues out of Homelessness, Vital Farms and Yahweh’s Place.
Community members who were unable to participate in Hungerthon can still make donations towards the Weekend Backpack Program securely online at ozarksfoodharvest.org/donate/hungerthon.
