Media teams sweep aisles for Food Bank

Holly Cavinder
Reader Submitted

Matt Travis, Kate Segal and Roxanne Davis of Scene Magazine race down the aisles of the Family Fare store in Marshall during the annual April Food's Day Supermarket Sweep.

Although it was April Fool’s Day, 11 media teams weren’t joking around as they caromed through the aisles of the Family Fare store in Marshall during the April Food’s Day Media Shopping Sweep, snatching up specially marked items to benefit the Food Bank of South Central Michigan.

At the end of the five minute Sweep 408 items, worth $1,118, were collected.

Capturing first place was the team from Senior Times (David Sherban, Patty Pastor & Greg Moore), gathering up 49 items. Following close on their heels came the team from Scene Magazine (Matt Travis, Kate Segal & Roxanne Davis) with 47 items. Grabbing third place, in a NCAA Final-Four type finish, was the team from the Battle Creek Shopper News ( Shelby Woodard, Judy Morey & Jodi Pendleton), pulling off 45 items from the shelves before the whistle was blown by referee Al Bobrofsky.

Not to be outdone, the Battle Creek Bomber’s team of Megan Luzi, Jake Thayer & Nate Mueske, captured the Wobbly Wheel award, earned by the team finishing in last place.

Other teams included: WBCK 95.3 (Roy LaFountain, Nate Adams & RENK), Battle Creek Knights (Corey Thompson, Stacy Darkey & Marcus Bradford), WKFR’s Morning Show crew of Warren Kluck, Ramone & Brian Hutchinson), Battle Creek Enquirer (Elizabeth Huff, Lori Holcomb, & Dennis Rench), WBXX Mix 104.9 (Kelley Parish, Jeff Jennings & Tom Wood), WIN 98.5 (Woody Houston, Kim Brixton & Lucy) and the Marshall Advisor/Chronicle (Donna Daines, John Hendler & Liza Sayre).

“We’re grateful to Family Fare and Spartan for opening up their store for this year’s Shopping Sweep,” said Cheryl Proctor, Food Bank operations manager. “Our hunger relief network could really use this boost of excellent product, as could the households they are serving.”

Proctor noted that the Food Bank has been challenged of late to keep up with the ever-increasing need. She explained that 72% of the households served by the Food Bank’s network are living below the poverty line. “And that information was gathered before the most recent economic downturn.”

The Supermarket Sweep also served the purpose of helping the media focus in on the Food Bank’s Spring Food Raiser, which consists of a host of grassroots food and fund raising activities through mid-May. The Spring Food Raiser includes the Feinstein Challenge, with the Feinstein Foundation pledging $1 million to match monetary donations made to Food Banks across the country through April 30. Checks can be sent to the Food Bank at: PO Box 408, Battle Creek, MI 49106, or donations may be made on line at: www.foodbankofscm.org

The Spring Food Raiser also includes Re-Max Perrett Associate’s Stuff the Bus, coming up April 19 in the Pennfield Felpausch parking lot, the Battle Creek Knights food raiser on April 26, and the Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger collection on May 10.

The Food Bank is a United Way Program Delivery Partner and is a member of America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank network and the Food Bank Council of Michigan.

Originally published April 1, 2008
Copyright (c) Battle Creek Enquirer. All rights reserved.

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