CBC TV and Radio Help Cary Rotarians Fight Hunger With Chili

Volunteers from the Cary Rotary work hard serving chili to help end hunger for others.

WRAL-TV and WRAL-FM recently contributed to a project to help end hunger. The Cary Rotary Club held its 4th annual Chili Dinner fundraiser on Friday, January 26, 2007, and both stations helped make it the Cary Rotary’s biggest success yet.

The Cary Rotary Club has been holding a chili lunch and dinner to raise funds for Stop Hunger Now for four years. Locally these funds are distributed through the Interfaith Food Shuttle, Urban Ministries and With Love From Jesus; funds are distributed internationally as well.

WRAL-TV’s Laura Stillman (left) “supervises” the chili line.

Musical guests entertain the chili crowd.

The club surpassed their $30,000 goal, raising about $32,000 through the 2007 event, bringing the four year total to over $100,000. The funds came via sponsorships and tickets for the two meals.

WRAL-TV and WRAL-FM signed on as sponsors, and WRAL-TV National Sales Manager Laura Stillman rolled up her sleeves and helped in the kitchen. She has been with the event since its inception. In that first year Stillman enlisted WRAL-FM On-Air Personality Vanna Fox, now a mainstay at the event, as well.

WRAL-TV’s Laura Stillman (2nd from left) pitches in to help the chili dinner behind the scenes.

“I have had the honor of being associated with the Cary Rotary Chili Dinner since the start,” said Fox. She emceed the lunch portion of the event this year. When she first stepped up to the mike for the Cary Rotary four years ago, she had no idea what the event was about. Stillman and WRAL-FM VP & General Manager Ardie Gregory asked her to attend. “However, I was quickly impressed with the work of ‘Stop Hunger Now.’ Four years later, our church staff has lunch there, our youth group is doing a mission project with ‘Stop Hunger Now’ and I send everyone I can find to the best chili dinner around!”

Thanks to the Cary Rotary’s Eric Schmidt for these capcom photos.