BRATTLEBORO — Local radio station, 92.7 BrattFM will be broadcasting live from Price Chopper/Market32 for three consecutive days leading up to Thanksgiving, collecting food and cash for Project Feed the Thousands.
Parker Springfield, recently voted Brattleboro's favorite DJ, is the on-air radio personality for 92.7 BrattFM who will anchor the event. He will be joined by mid-day personality Natalie Knowles and afternoon personality Dave Matrango.
They will be broadcasting live on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Nov. 25 through 27, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. During this marathon broadcast, listeners are invited to share their stories and visit the BrattFM broadcast donation table.
“Brattleboro and the surrounding communities are very special,” Springfield said in a news release. “Everyone deserves to live comfortably and without worrying where their next meal is coming from. I'm especially excited that 92.7 BrattFM is able to do this marathon broadcast for Project Feed. I've done campaigns like this in other areas and am expecting a huge collection of donations from such a giving and inspirational community.”
Project Feed the Thousands was first launched in 1994 by Larry Smith, then of WTSA Radio, and George Haynes, former president of Brattleboro Savings & Loan.
“When Project Feed the Thousands was first conceived of, we never imagined that our mission would be so incredibly necessary all these years later - that the need would have increased so exponentially - that the number of people in need of help would grow to the levels we now see,” Haynes said.
“The community goal this year is to raise $85,000 in cash, as well as to collect enough non-perishable food items for 250,000 meals,” Haynes added. “We are extremely grateful to 92.7 BrattFM for committing to such a large undertaking by hosting this event. This is the first year for this 3-day broadcast and it was 100 percent their idea.”
The broadcast is happening outside of Market32, and Springfield said he and his fellow hosts were unfazed by spending 12 hours outside for three straight days.
“That's one of the most important factors for our staff. During this broadcast, we will be experiencing just a small sample of what those less fortunate may go through on a daily basis. There are so many people in our community who have to make tough choices, like whether to 'heat or eat.' It's one thing for us to broadcast in a warm grocery store…it's quite another to expose ourselves to the elements. It really helps us bring the message home.”
Project Feed the Thousands, which has nourished countless individuals and families with food and supplies to alleviate the most basic human need of having enough food to put on the table for each meal, is a community-wide food drive and will be collecting cash and non-perishable food items through the end of the year.