Community leaders and campaign coordinators rallied at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to celebrate the record-breaking success of the 2015 Harvest for Hunger campaign during a spring-themed event on Friday,
May 15, 2015.
CJ Fraleigh, Harvest for Hunger Co-Chair and the Chairman & CEO of Shearer’s Foods, announced the Foodbank’s Harvest for Hunger campaign total by releasing seven giant balloons. After releasing one balloon at a time, the numbers 1,043,587 revealed the Foodbank’s target had been surpassed.
The 2015 Harvest for Hunger campaign raised $1,043,587 and 100,000 pounds of food for the Foodbank. Because of the success of the campaign, the Foodbank will be able to provide more than 4 million meals to those struggling with hunger in our community.
"Harvest for Hunger is a campaign waged in the trenches, where pancake breakfasts, dollar dress down days and small donations at grocery store lines literally are the difference between hunger and health for thousands of neighbors in our region,” said Dan Flowers, President & CEO of the Foodbank. “Thank you to our friends, our partners and all the people who continually give us their time and talents so freely, and openly.”
More than 200 businesses and organizations held food and funds drives to support Harvest for Hunger. The campaign’s top financial donors were FirstEnergy Corporation, Aultman Health Foundation, Akron Children’s Hospital and The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. The National Association of Letter Carriers had the largest food drive this year collecting more than 35,000 pounds from Stamp Out Hunger.
Together, local supermarkets raised $535,739 through Check Out Hunger, which allowed shoppers to scan coupons and make donations at the checkout register. Participating supermarkets included Buehler’s Fresh Foods, Dave’s Supermarkets, Fishers Foods, Giant Eagle, Heinen’s Fine Foods and Walgreens.
Two respected leaders led the 2015 Harvest for Hunger campaign from the food industry, CJ Fraleigh, Chairman & CEO, Shearer’s Foods and Harvey Nelson, CEO, Main Street Gourmet.
For more information about donating to support hunger-relief programs like Harvest for Hunger, please visit akroncantonfoodbank.org or call 330.535.6900.