Annual Ozarks Food Harvest Hungerthon exceeds goal

The 18th annual Hungerthon event raised $140,447 for Ozarks Food Harvest, beating its goal.

The radiothon - a partnership with iHeartMedia Inc. - targeted $125,000 in donations. The money raised enables Ozarks Food Harvest to provide 468 at-risk children with six meals every weekend of the school year. This year’s total also beat last year’s $125,400 in donations, according to a news release.

"It's a great day when we have a record-breaking year for feeding hungry kids,” Ozarks Food Harvest President and CEO Bart Brown said in the release of the event hosted by 105.9 KGBX emcees Kevin Howard and Liz Delany.

Donations to the Springfield nonprofit’s weekend backpack program were matched by area businesses and foundations, including Associated Electric Cooperative Inc.; Coldwell Banker Commercial Vanguard, Realtors; CoxHealth; Harter House; Hiland Dairy; and the Musgrave Foundation.

The latest figure brings the Hungerthon total to $1.6 million since 1999. The three-day event held at the Tower Theater ran through 10 a.m. yesterday, according to a news release.

Ozarks Food Harvest’s weekend backpack program distributes some 57,800 backpacks annually to 60 southwest Missouri schools. Each backpack contains meals for two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners, two snacks and drinks.