WBAL-TV and WBAL-AM Collects 590,000 Pounds of Food

Topic: Neighbors in Need

In the springtime, WBAL-TV and WBAL-AM in Baltimore, Md., partner with the Maryland Food Bank for its annual "Harvest for the Hungry" campaign, which collected more than 590,000 pounds of food for distribution throughout Baltimore and 23 surrounding counties last year. WBAL-TV has been involved in the effort for 27 years. For three weeks, the station runs a heavy public service announcement campaign and informational crawls throughout newscasts. Newscasts provide updates about the participation of schools and Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. Actively engaging as many viewers and groups as the station can, WBAL also organizes its own events, such as its "Pack the Hummer" day where viewers donated enough items to fill up every last inch of space in the vehicle. WBAL also recruits businesses to compete with one another to see which can raise the most money. Station employees go hands-on during the station’s "Day of Caring," which provides each employee half of a work day to volunteer at the drive. Last year, WBAL employees boxed 50,000 pounds of donated food in a single day. "The contribution WBAL makes to our community and ‘Harvest for the Hungry’ is immeasurable," said Larry Adams Jr., founder of the "Harvest for the Hungry" campaign. "They just really come through."

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