Burger lovers can help fight hunger

Holiday Cheer kicks off

Patrons of area Burger King restaurants will find an easy way to help fight hunger during the holiday season.

This is the 35th year Burger King restaurants will collect donations for the Holiday Cheer campaign to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.

Midwest R Corp. and local radio stations WOBL/WDLW started the Holiday Cheer program to raise awareness and money to help feed local families during the holiday season.

It began in 1983, a year after Second Harvest was founded.

Since then, the program has raised about $1.1 million toward meals for people in Lorain, Erie, Huron and Crawford counties.

The program this year will run from Nov. 19 to Dec. 24.

A special kickoff breakfast will take place from 7-9:30 a.m., Nov. 30, at Burger King, 616 W. Broad St. in Elyria.

Donors who give $5 will get a free breakfast donated by Burger King.

“Being part of our community is important to us, but never more so than when we come together to help make a difference in the lives of local families in need,”

said Sully Renuart, president and CEO of Midwest R Corp.

Renuart’s father, John, was one of the founders of Holiday Cheer.

Doug Wilber, president and CEO of WOBL/WDLW, described the first year of the program.

“We collected $3,500 that year, nearly all in quarters,” Wilber said. “We’ve come so far. Over the years, we’ve been able to raise enough to provide over 5 million meals to local families.”

Things have grown since then.

Last year, Holiday Cheer raised $70,000.

The goal for this year is $75,000 because there always is a need, Wilber said.

“There’s a perception out there that we’re in a great economy and everybody is working and isn’t life wonderful?” he said. “If you are working and life is wonderful, you don’t realize that it’s not that for a whole lot of people.”

The campaign is not about seeking $1,000 donations — although Second Harvest would accept that amount and put it to good use, said Julie Chase-Morefield, president and CEO of the food bank.

The most amazing part about the campaign is how

small donations will add up, Chase-Morefield said.

“A few dollars really does make a difference,” she said. “For us, for every dollar we get, we can provide five meals.

“This isn’t like, huge amounts of money to make a difference, so everybody can contribute.”

That has been a common characteristic among many Second Harvest donors, Chase-Morefield said.

The food bank has numerous donors who give $5 or $10 because they live in a neighborhood where they see people struggling, she said.

“It’s like, well, if I can give a few dollars to help, then I can feel like I’m making a difference, and you really can,” Chase-Morefield said.

The staff at “Gold Country” WOBL 1320 AM and “Kool Kat Oldies” WDLW 1380 AM get excited for the program, Wilber said.

The Burger King workers and volunteers for participating food pantries also enjoy it, Chase-Morefield said.

The Burger King staff set goals for raising money as a way to give back to the community, Chase-Morefield said.

Volunteers also make “secret shopper” visits and reward Burger King cashiers who ask for donations, she said.