WSAW NewsChannel 7’s annual Share Your Holidays campaign raised $166,834 and thousands of pounds of non-perishable food during its 21st year.
The money will be split between the Wausau Salvation Army and The Neighbors’ Place. Food that was donated will go to Peyton’s Promise for distribution to multiple food pantries.
“I know 2023 was a tough economic year for a lot of people,” said Jeff Thelen, News Anchor and Campaign Coordinator. “Still, there was incredible generosity shown again for Share Your Holidays. Our donations were up by more than $10,000 over 2022. It’s not surprising, because the support we’ve gotten for this effort for more than 20 years now has always been amazing!”
Share Your Holidays has now raised $1,489,576 since its inception 21 years ago. Studies show that every dollar donated to a food pantry buys three or four meals.
“This collective effort is more than we could do alone,” said Elizabeth Robinson, Community Engagement Manager for The Neighbors’ Place. “It’s just overwhelming for us to see the outpouring of support year after year and to know that our community is willing to show up. Every little bit counts and we’re just so grateful.”
“Share Your Holidays means a whole lot to the Salvation Army,” said Major David Womack, Commanding Officer, Wausau Salvation Army. “Every bit of the Share Your Holidays dollars will stay right here in our area to provide food for people in our lunch program, our food pantry and evening feeding folks in our shelter who have that need.”
Thanks to matching grants, every dollar donated up to $85,000 was doubled. The BA and Esther Greenheck Foundation, The MacDonald Foundation, The Miller-Halvorsen Family, the Dudley Foundation, and IncredibleBank all provided matching grants.
“We extend our gratitude to our matching donors for their unwavering support of Share Your Holidays,” said Betsy Keefe, VP/General Manager, WSAW-TV. “Their commitment to doubling every dollar donated has been the cornerstone of our success. We are in awe of their tremendous commitment to positively impacting our community.”
The 2023 Share Your Holidays campaign began on Nov. 22 and concluded on Dec. 29. Viewers were encouraged to donate money online. Donors could also drop off food or money at WSAW-TV or at IncredibleBank locations in the Wausau area.
With zero overhead cost, a significant portion of Share Your Holidays continued success can be attributed to its sponsors: IncredibleBank, JX Truck Center and Wagner Shell. WSAW-TV staff also play a large role, donating their time and resources to help support the campaign.
WSAW-TV staff and sponsors participated in several events aimed at driving donations. On Dec. 1, staff walked along the Wausau Holiday Parade, collecting hundreds of pounds of non-perishable food and monetary donations. Then, on Dec. 19, IncredibleBank staff worked the phone lines during a two-and-a-half hour phone bank, raising $8,500.
“It’s always amazing to see how the staff comes together each year to support The Neighbors’ Place, The Salvation Army and Peyton’s Promise,” said Bridget Fargen, News Director, WSAW-TV. “These organizations do great work ensuring people in Marathon County don’t go hungry and we are happy to be able to make their missions a little easier with the food and money we collect. I know it gives our staff a great sense of pride to know their efforts have a direct impact in our communities to ensure people don’t go hungry.”
