WMTV’s 29th annual Share Your Holidays Campaign surpassed its goal of raising $1.5 million for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. The final total was $1,623,240 raised. The campaign also collected and sorted 30,000 pounds of food.
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin helps families and individuals facing food insecurities in 16 southern Wisconsin counties. The non-profit distributes food to 200 partner agencies and programs, including food pantries in local schools.
“Strong Partners and generous viewers are the true champions for this year’s campaign,” said Don Vesely, WMTV 15 Regional Vice President/General Manager. “Without the matching dollars, viewers would not have an opportunity to see their donation double. Thank you to the volunteers, the fundraising committee, the local business and family trusts that allow every donation to be maximized. For all those that donated, the stories and reasons you share truly touch my heart. Thank you from all of us at WMTV 15 News.”
The 2024 campaign was held from Nov. 11 through Dec. 11. This year’s theme was “The Power of One.” One family, one business, one school, one organization, one person – all coming together to make a difference in our local communities. WMTV 15, Second Harvest, local businesses, volunteers, schools and individual donors worked together to exceed the $1.5 million goal.
WMTV’s late anchor, Mike McKinney, had a personal mission to eliminate hunger and founded the WMTV Share Your Holidays campaign outside of a Madison grocery store—collecting donations in the parking lot on a single day. That year, more than 50,000 meals were raised. Now, we’re proud to say that since its inception, the campaign has raised more than 75 million meals.
“We’re grateful to WMTV 15 for their tremendous partnership with us,” said Michelle Orge, President/CEO of Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. “For 29 years, the WMTV Share Your Holidays campaign has made such a difference in our community. Hitting our goal this year is an important milestone toward our ability to help everyone in our community have enough nutritious food to thrive. We thank everyone for sharing their generosity during this year’s campaign.”
