Committee launches annual campaign to give hunger a holiday

Hunger Takes No Holiday begins its fourth year of fundraising for Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank.

Food is a basic human need that many children, adults and seniors struggle for so our goal is to raise $40,000 this year to provide $400,000 worth of food, or 200,000 meals to our friends and neighbors in need.

For every dollar donated, Second Harvest can rescue and distribute enough food for five meals to Superior and Douglas County nonprofit agencies to help those in need. Second Harvest is the region’s only food bank capable of rescuing food nationally and regionally for distribution in to distribute in northwest Wisconsin and northeast Minnesota.

Think about it:

• About 13.3 percent of the county’s population, 5,860 people, are “food insecure,” meaning they do not have access to food for healthy life at all times.

• About 2,360 children in Douglas County, 25.4 percent, are are food insecure, higher than state average of 22.6 percent.

• Use of Superior and Douglas County food shelves has increased 38 percent in the last year; use among seniors increased 43 percent and 40 percent for children.

• Children account for 32 percent of those served in Douglas County.

Based on that need and Second Harvest’s ability to provide $10 worth of food for every dollar we collect, it was a no-brainer to team up to provide this critical service to nonprofit agencies in our area.

Organizations that benefit include the Superior Salvation Army, Faith United Methodist Church, Freshwater Vineyard Church, Gordon Food Pantry, Rural Care & Share Food Pantry in Poplar, the Boys and Girls Club, the Challenge Center, CASDA, Camp Bovey in Gordon and the Nutrition on Weekends Backpack Program. Ten percent of money raised this year goes to for the backpack program.

Even though the money we collect goes to Second Harvest, based in Duluth, all financial benefits go to Superior and Douglas County.

Hunger never takes a day off, so our committee of business and civic leaders are ready to roll up their sleeves and work year round to help provide food for so many people. Our committee members are incredibly energetic and put their concern for others at the forefront. Help whenever you can. We will have many functions throughout the year where you can have fun contributing.

Our first major function is Feb. 2. Grizzly’s in Superior has been a major contributor from the beginning and has raised over $8,000 and once again managing partner Rick Lampton and his staff are helping out in a big way.

Lampton is contributing 15 percent of the food sales on Feb. 2 and his staff will be donating 100 percent of their tips. What a deal! You can dine on some of the best food in the Northland, have a great time with family and friends, get great service and enjoy the ambiance while contributing to a worthy cause.

If you like steak, have the house sirloin. Trust me; you will thank me later. Mark your calendar.

Each year we have tried to come up with a new “feature” to our fundraising. This year, I Lance Boyle, aka, Don Leighton, aka, Jack Buck of the iFanSports Network, have selfishly arrived at a way to raise money to help reach our goal. More will be forthcoming about this unique fundraising technique, but here are the facts as we have them now:

I need to lose weight. I weigh 272 pounds and officially weighed-in at SMDS in Superior on Jan. 14. Doc Holliday is not happy with me. My goal is to lose 50 pounds by New Year’s Eve 2013 or 50 pounds in 50 weeks.

It sounds easy, but with my history of battling the bulge, it will be a struggle. This is where you can help. I will be asking for pledges, $1 per pound, or more, would be most appreciated. Official weigh-ins, witnessed by Telegram Photographer Jed Carlson’s camera, take place monthly. If I meet or exceed my goal, you will owe whatever you pledged. If I do not lose the 50 pounds, what you pay will be pro-rated. If I lose 25 pounds, you will owe half your pledge.

Here is the best part, if I fail, I will pay the remainder of your pledge. Either way, Second Harvest, local nonprofit agencies, and friends and neighbors benefit.

More details on how you can help me lose weight and provide food for those in need will be revealed in the next couple of weeks.

And, I hope the irony has not escaped you. See you at Grizzly’s on Feb. 2.

Tags: have fun or get out of the way, collections, news, food, money, superior