Free Beer & Hot Wings raises nearly $130K for Kids’ Food Basket
August 9, 2024
Photo credit: Free Beer & Hot Wings/Facebook
This past Thursday (8/8), Townsquare Media's WGRD-FM (Grand Rapids) morning show "Free Beer and Hot Wings" held a 12-hour commercial-free "Fill the Basket" radiothon to raise money for the nonprofit Kids Food Basket, which serves Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon and Allegan counties. During the radiothon, listeners heard stories of the people impacted by the organization's work and were be encouraged to donate.
A total of $129,942.90 was raised, more than three times the original goal.
"Our goal (was) to raise $37,000 which is enough to fund one school to receive daily sack supper meals for an entire year," said Kids Food Basket chief operating officer Erika Abbo told WZZM-TV. "Last year, we served about 10,000 evening meals each weekday to 60 schools across West Michigan, and so we are really just looking for the community support to continue to be able to expand that work."
Kids Food Basket works with 60 schools, but Abbo says they're only serving about 12% of the need in the community. Support from events like the radiothon could help them do even more.
"It's about knowing that, on a day-to-day basis, as children are leaving school, they can count on that meal. That meal is going to be there for them, and we are going to show up each and every day. That meal is going to go home with them, and it's going to be filled with food that they enjoy, that they've taste tested, that is kid-approved, and that is good for their bodies to really help them to be their best selves as well," Abbo said.
The station aired the 12-hour event commercial-free courtesy of local automotive parts distributor Rowerdink Incorporated.