KUSA-TV Collected 450,000 Pounds of Food, 10 Truckloads of Clothes, $100,000

Topic: Community-Focused Initiatives

For 25 years, KUSA-TV in Denver, Colo., has been helping fight hunger and poverty. The station’s "9Cares Colorado Shares" campaign brought more than 450,000 pounds of food to low-income and needy Colorado residents last year. That doesn’t even count the hundreds of toys, 10 semi-truck loads of clothing and $100,000 donated by viewers as part of the effort. The November drive, which is the largest one-day collection in the state, has become a tradition. Its successful outreach starts with a combination of 15- and 30-second spots that air from mid-October through the Thanksgiving holiday. Live broadcasts, including regular news mentions, complement the effort along with extensive use of the KUSA Web site. One million dollars in airtime is given by KUSA to the campaign each year. Overall, the "9Cares Colorado Shares" effort reaches more than 90 food banks in the Denver Metro area and a multitude of other community groups. The number of Coloradans assisted by the program is significant. As the economic climate continues to be challenging for many, KUSA’s campaign will no doubt touch even more lives. In a thank you letter to the station, Betsy Strapp, director of the Broadway Assistance Center, wrote, "This food will go a long way in helping out as we strive to meet the needs of the ever-growing poor population of Denver. They will be better fed and therefore healthier because of your efforts."

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