WMOO
92.1 and 1490 WIKE HUNGERFEST
2009
Derby – WMOO
92.1 and Stereo 1490 WIKE’s
Hungerfest Campaign for the Northeast Kingdom Community
Action (NEKCA) Food Shelf returned to the Northeast Kingdom,
November 5th through November 7th.
Hungerfest
entered its fourth year with a bigger need than ever with
the lagging economy and unemployment rate going
up. According to Moo92’s Program Director and Morning
Show Co-host Deveney Choquette, “We’re all watching
the economy right now and all struggling! But now that the
colder weather is upon us, we want to make sure that no families
here in the NEK have to choose between feeding their families
and keeping them warm.”
The
Moo92 Wake Up Crew – Tod Pronto and Deveney Choquette,
brave the elements at the Price Chopper in Derby to broadcast
live 24 hours a day for three straight days attempting to
stuff a 55 ft. E&C Perron tractor-trailer with non-perishable
food for the NEKCA food shelf. According to Pronto, “We
live at the store during this event! We don’t go home
until the truck is full!” Choquette adds, “The
outpouring of support of this community is unbelievable and
the success of this event is proof of that. In just four
years this event has grown tremendously. The first year we
collected about 3.5 tons and this year we collected 20.5
tons! Even in troubling times, with the economy where it
is we were able to fill an entire tractor-trailer with food
for the NEKCA food shelf! It really is an amazing thing and
we could not have done it without all of the local businesses
and countless community members who donated.”
There
were numerous challenges thrown out during the three days
as the community got creative in finding ways to stuff
the truck. Bill Worth of Worth’s Seamless Gutters put
up the first one, challenging other businesses to match their
$150 donation. This proved very successful as businesses
started putting up their donations, matching the $150 and
some even upping the ante! Other companies followed suit
and there were challenges from local restaurants, banks,
fire departments, auto stores, construction companies, hardware
and rental stores, manufacturers, plumbing and heating companies,
realtors and countless others. A huge success, this raised
close to $7000 in under 24 hours! Most of this money was
spent on food as the NEKCA staff members helped fill the
truck by participating in a Supermarket Sweep, Moo92 style!
They managed to buy 21 cart loads of food in about 25 minutes!
The truck was full!
All of the food collected stays right here in the NEK and
helps local families in our communities.
Moo92 and NEKCA would like to thank everyone who helped
to make our 4th Annual Hungerfest a huge success.
We’d like to thank everyone who made this event possible:
Mekkelsen RV’s, E&C Perron Trucking, Derby Price
Chopper, Verizon Wireless, Farm Yard Store, Newport Rental,
Poulin Lumber and Little G’s Deli.
We’d like to thank all of our collection sites who
made our Hungerfest Tour a success: Hilliker’s Store
in Newport Center, C&C Supermarket in Barton, White’s
Market Plaza Store in Lyndonville, Thibault’s Market
in Orleans, West Charleston Corner Store, Charleston Elementary
School, Blanchard Oil in Orleans, and Sears in Derby.
We’d also like to thank all of the local businesses
who donated: Community National Bank, Hoagies Pizza n’ Pasta,
Paul Patenaude Carpentry, Animal Kingdom, Sumner Tire, Orleans
Country Sheriff’s Dept, Derby Price Chopper Employees,
Community Medical Associates, Morgan Post Master, Shawn Austin
Bldg. Contractor, Fred’s Plumbing n’ Heating,
Lake Region Opticians, Newport and Derby Bond Auto, Border
Hoop, Northern Vt. Landscape, Worth’s Seamless Gutters,
Farm Yard Store, Nadeau’s Plumbing n’ Heating,
Bianchi Memorials, Century 21 Farm n’ Forest Realty,
Westmore Fire Dept, Newport Fire Dept, Albany Fire Dept,
Irasburg Fire Dept, Sub Station, LR Principal Andre Messier,
Will-O-Wood Campground, Reg’s/Modern Furniture, EHM
Productions (Easton Hockey), Newport Border Patrol, Kingdom
Construction, South Bay Auto, Austin’s Rubbish Removal,
NC Hospital Billing Office.
We’d
also like to thank those who donated their time and energy:
Derek and Gene of the VT DMV, Derby Line Fire
Dept., Garvey, Gales and AJ of the Border Patrol.
And “THANK YOU” to each and every community
member who donated…we could not have done it without
any of you!
