Although it was April Fool’s Day, 11 media teams
weren’t joking around as they caromed through the aisles of the Family
Fare store in Marshall during the April Food’s Day Media Shopping Sweep,
snatching up specially marked items to benefit the Food Bank of South
Central Michigan.
At the end of the five minute Sweep 408 items,
worth $1,118, were collected.
Capturing first place was the team from Senior Times
(David Sherban, Patty Pastor & Greg Moore), gathering up 49 items.
Following close on their heels came the team from Scene Magazine (Matt
Travis, Kate Segal & Roxanne Davis) with 47 items. Grabbing third place,
in a NCAA Final-Four type finish, was the team from the Battle Creek
Shopper News ( Shelby Woodard, Judy Morey & Jodi Pendleton), pulling off
45 items from the shelves before the whistle was blown by referee Al
Bobrofsky.
Not to be outdone, the Battle Creek Bomber’s team
of Megan Luzi, Jake Thayer & Nate Mueske, captured the Wobbly Wheel
award, earned by the team finishing in last place.
Other teams included: WBCK 95.3 (Roy LaFountain,
Nate Adams & RENK), Battle Creek Knights (Corey Thompson, Stacy Darkey &
Marcus Bradford), WKFR’s Morning Show crew of Warren Kluck, Ramone &
Brian Hutchinson), Battle Creek Enquirer (Elizabeth Huff, Lori Holcomb,
& Dennis Rench), WBXX Mix 104.9 (Kelley Parish, Jeff Jennings & Tom
Wood), WIN 98.5 (Woody Houston, Kim Brixton & Lucy) and the Marshall
Advisor/Chronicle (Donna Daines, John Hendler & Liza Sayre).
“We’re grateful to Family Fare and Spartan for
opening up their store for this year’s Shopping Sweep,” said Cheryl
Proctor, Food Bank operations manager. “Our hunger relief network could
really use this boost of excellent product, as could the households they
are serving.”
Proctor noted that the Food Bank has been
challenged of late to keep up with the ever-increasing need. She
explained that 72% of the households served by the Food Bank’s network
are living below the poverty line. “And that information was gathered
before the most recent economic downturn.”
The Supermarket Sweep also served the purpose of
helping the media focus in on the Food Bank’s Spring Food Raiser, which
consists of a host of grassroots food and fund raising activities
through mid-May. The Spring Food Raiser includes the Feinstein
Challenge, with the Feinstein Foundation pledging $1 million to match
monetary donations made to Food Banks across the country through April
30. Checks can be sent to the Food Bank at: PO Box 408, Battle Creek, MI
49106, or donations may be made on line at:
www.foodbankofscm.org
The Spring Food Raiser also includes Re-Max
Perrett Associate’s Stuff the Bus, coming up April 19 in the Pennfield
Felpausch parking lot, the Battle Creek Knights food raiser on April 26,
and the Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger collection on May 10.
The Food Bank is a United Way Program Delivery
Partner and is a member of America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food
Bank network and the Food Bank Council of Michigan.
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