MIX Listeners Come Through for Hungry Kids in the Triangle

MIX 101.5 listeners show their generosity by donating coming out for the MIX 101.5 BackPack Buddies Food Drive on Wednesday, August 21, 2013.

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MIX 101.5 listeners have come through in a big way once again.  MIX 101.5 collected more than four tons of food and over $105,000, at the annual MIX 101.5 BackPack Buddies Food Drive on Wednesday, August 21, 2013.   On-air personalities and staffers collected backpacks and food items at Crossroads in Cary and Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh.

The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is overwhelmed by our listeners’ kindness.

“We are once again so grateful and touched by this community’s generosity!” Jill Staton Bullard, CEO and co-founder of the IFFS. “We witnessed so may acts of incredible generosity- little children so excited to put their allowance money in our fishbowl, several generous souls who brought carloads of backpacks and food,  our long-time sponsors and corporate partners who support this effort year after year stepping up once more for the children in our region.”

Many Triangle companies dropped by with big checks and truckloads of food and backpacks.  Monetary donations came in online as well.  Children showed up with their parents, happy to help hungry kids.  The MIX listeners kept the collection volunteers hopping all day long.

MIX’s Mike Chase (center) interviews Big Mike, a preschool teacher & Carolina Hurricanes personality, when he stops by to make a donation. MIX Morning Show Co-Host Mike Chase joined WRAL-FM only recently. He shared his thoughts on his first BackPack Buddies experience: I have been reeling from what was easily my best day here. It wasn’t until I had the chance to look into the faces (and the hearts) of the listeners as I did at Back Pack Buddies, that I fully inhabited what his place is all about.  I feel like a switch flipped and I suddenly “got” the market. I can only hope that through other such opportunities for connection that the audience will feel the same about me.

Bullard added that she’s thrilled that the online donations continue to pour in.

“We have long known that hunger is fixable if we work together as a community and our good friends at MIX 101.5 and their listeners proved that once again yesterday,” she said.

Thanks to WRAL-FM’s Jenny Clements for this capcom scoop & for these capcom photos.