KSAM-FM and Oldies Radio 1490, the “Huntsville Item,” Brookshire Brothers and Rental Service Corporation will team up to continue the two-week “Spirit of Huntsville” Food Drive Nov. 16-17. Food donations will benefit the Good Shepherd Mission Food Pantry.
“Recent events have prompted all of us to remember to pitch in and help those around us,” said Brooke Addams, KSAM/Oldies Radio 1490 operations manager.
The community can make non-perishable food donations at Brookshire Brothers on 11th Street and Normal Park from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Addams said the goal is to raise enough food to last through the holidays and into 2002. KSAM morning radio personality Kooter Robertson will be counting on the community to come through. Of all KSAM radio personalities, listeners voted for him to go “Sky High for Hunger” and be hoisted into the air on a cherry picker and
held hostage until the goal is reached. Except for the occasional bathroom break, he will not be allowed to come down.
“That’s the fun of it! People can come out and see Kooter in the cherry picker and feel sorry for him,” Addams said. “But the reality of it is that the ‘pain and inconvenience’ he’s undergoing for two days is small compared to the pain of hundreds of our neighbors and their children going through the holidays with empty stomachs. No child deserves that.”
Addams is confident the community will come through and Robertson will be released.
“We never considered not reaching our goal, so there’s no ‘Plan B,'” she said. “But we’ll be nice enough to let him down.”
The food drive kicked off Nov. 10 by accepting donations at the “Fire Up the Bearkats” Tailgate Party, which collected almost $200 plus about 200 cans of food, Addams said.
She added that she is excited other members in the community heard about the food drive on the radio and decided to help. Pizza Pro will supply food to volunteers and will accept non-perishable food donations when making deliveries.
The newly crowned Miss Walker County, Crystyl Swanson, Miss Sam Houston-Huntsville, Sabrina Markle and Miss Teen Walker County Cassie Fausett will be there helping out and autographing pictures. Also, the Davy Crocket Riders will make an “entrance” and a donation Saturday.
For more information call KSAM/Oldies Radio 1490 at 295-2651.