WSOY and our community partners, ADM, Team Soy – Soy Capital Bank & J.L. Hubbard Insurance and Bonds, Skeff Distributing, Jones & Thomas/JTnet, Decatur Back & Neck Center, Tickets N Trips, First Christian Church, Dale’s Southlake Pharmacy & Colee’s Corner Drugs, DynaGraphics/Wood Printing, Kroger, Herald & Review, and WAND-TV are pleased to announce the details for our annual food drive on October 6th, 6AM-6PM at Airport Plaza Kroger on Rt. 36 in Decatur. We have joined together to help stock our local food pantries. Last year over 1.4 million pounds of food was collected during our twelve hours of broadcast and this year we hope to exceed 1.5 million pounds. Over the past fifteen years, over 7.9 million pounds of food has been collected. Last year, because of the wonderful generosity of the community, the WSOY Community Food Drive was able to help Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army, The Good Samaritan Inn, Northeast Community Fund, The Judy Mason Thanksgiving Basket Project, Reasonable Services, God’s Shelter of Love, Amelca Food Pantry, Moundford Free Methodist Food Pantry and Interchurch Council of Blue Mound, Boody, Stonington and Macon.
Thanks to our community partners, we are able to again offer a substantial financial award to the top five local schools that collect the most food for our drive. Individuals and groups can collect food ahead of time or come out to Kroger that day and donate food or cash in the name of a particular school. The top five schools that generate the most food in pounds will be awarded a cash prize. Anyone can help support their favorite school by donating in the name of the school. Parents, grandparents, booster clubs, bands, athletic teams and teachers can and will make the difference. All Macon County Schools grades K-12 are eligible to participate.
This year’s cash awards are as follows:
1st Place – $2,500
2nd Place – $1,500
3rd Place – $1,000
4th Place – $750
5th Place – $500
Last year’s winners were (1st) St. Patrick School, (2nd) Mt Zion High School, (3rd) Our Lady of Lourdes (4th) Warrensburg Latham High School and (5th) Eisenhower High School.
We will also once again be honoring businesses with the WSOY Community Food Drive Good Neighbor award. Last year’s Good Neighbor winners:
Refreshment Services Pepsi
United Way of Decatur and Mid Illinois
Kroger
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Every year the food drive has hundreds of great volunteers but one volunteer is recognized as being outstanding. The Geoffrey Neuhoff Spirit Award is given to honor and recognize someone that shows exemplary service to the WSOY Community Food Drive. Last year the recipient was Jeff Daly.
How you can help the 16th Annual WSOY Community Food Drive:
- You can participate by making a monetary donation. Checks can be made to “WSOY Community Food Drive”. (Tax deductable donations should be made to the Community Foundation c/o WSOY Community Food drive.)
- Companies and organizations interested in participating can call to sign up for our easy ‘how to’ package which will be delivered to them. This package will include fliers and grocery bags to send home with their employees to fill up and bring back to work. These bags will then need to be delivered to Kroger the day of the broadcast, or pick up service is available. These donations will also be designated to individual schools.
- If your business has a marquis, show your support by displaying “WSOY Community Food Drive, October 6th, 2017. 6am-6pm Kroger Rt. 36 East”
- You can also assist us by donating an hourly incentive such as sporting event tickets and gift cards to use as giveaways to encourage giving during our live broadcast.
- Let us know if your company is doing a special promotion or fundraiser for the food drive so we can share it! You can email details to lindsayromano@neuhoffmedia.com
For more information:
Overall questions: Lindsay Romano 423-9744
Questions about getting your school involved: Pete Vercellino 520-5098
Questions about getting your company involved: Karin Betzer 877-3344
Questions regarding volunteering or pick up service: Debbie Bogle 422-8537
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