The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank partnered with local iHeartMedia radio stations for the annual Long Haul Against Hunger radiothon on Dec. 6. Avid station listeners and Foodbank supporters drove by and dropped off food and financial donations to support the Foodbank’s Holiday Campaign and families facing hunger this holiday season.
The equivalent of 416,000 meals was raised during the 13-hour event. Broadcasting live the entire day to encourage donations was Keith Kennedy and Captain Tony from 98.1 KDD. The event took place at a new location, the Giant Eagle Market District in Cuyahoga Falls. With plenty of foot traffic, many shoppers were compelled to donate even if they were unaware of the all-day drive.
Volunteers and staff were onsite to help collect food and monetary donations throughout the day, helping unload food donations from vehicles.
Diebold Nixdorf, ESP International and Great Lakes Honda were just a few of the organizations that collected donations and dropped them off during the event. Captain America made an appearance to show his support, and Officer TJ Ford of the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department went on air to issue a fundraising challenge to all first responders.
The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation also stopped by and dropped off a $10,000 donation. Financial donations were matched by generous sponsors The J.M. Smucker Company, American Wood Reface and FirstEnergy Foundation.
“We are proud to support the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank in its fight against hunger in the Akron/Canton area,” said Paul Duma, group talent development manager with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. “At Enterprise, we are committed to making a real difference in local communities by helping address food insecurity across the globe.”
A change to this year’s event was the participation of Rock 106.9, historically collecting donations in Canton. Rather than have two locations collecting donations simultaneously, The Stansbury Show held a pre-party collection on Nov. 22 at Shale Brewery. Radio co-hosts Matt Fantone and Dan Stansbury saw tremendous support from loyal listeners who have contributed to the radiothon in years past and were happy to hang out with their favorite radio personalities for another year. Rock fans who came for the event helped The Stansbury Show build a mountain of macaroni and cheese with donations, all coming back to the Foodbank and its hunger-relief partners.
Long Haul Against Hunger is a longstanding partnership between the Foodbank and local iHeartMedia radio stations. It’s part of the Foodbank’s annual Holiday Campaign which urges people to come together to support individuals and families in the local community facing hunger.
“We’re thankful for the support of iHeartMedia and the leadership and generosity of Keith Kennedy and his team,” said Dan Flowers, Foodbank president and CEO. “For many years, this partnership has helped raise significant food and funds, helping provide heart-warming meals for our neighbors struggling with hunger during the holidays. We’re also sincerely appreciative of the community’s support and how so many of our friends come together in support of this one-day event. It’s truly a testament of what we can achieve when we work together.”
In the Foodbank’s eight-county service area, 1 in 7 individuals struggle with hunger, and more than 1 in 5 children are food insecure. The Foodbank invites you to participate in its Holiday Campaign by making a monetary donation at akroncantonfoodbank.org or by participating in the Selfless Elf 5k on Dec. 21.
Dress in your favorite holiday-themed costume or running gear and run or walk the 3.1-mile course beginning and ending at the Foodbank. The race begins at 8:00am. Visit selflesself.com to register or for more information.
To learn more about the Holiday Campaign, please visit akroncantonfoodbank.org/holiday or contact the Foodbank at 330.535.6900.