The 2025 Food-A-Bago Food Drive Results Are In

25 years. That's the age of our annual Food-A-Bago food drive for Broome County CHOW to assist families in need in our community around the holiday season.

Beginning Of Food-A-Bago

Food-A-Bago began with just 99.1 The Whale in 2000, with morning personality Steve Willett spending a week in a camper, asking for non-perishable food items to fill up the spaces to the point that he had no room left to occupy the camper.

As the years progressed and Steve left the area, we added all our Townsquare Media radio stations' personalities to be a part of this important event. The power of many radio stations to get the word out. And it worked.

Our Community Stepped Up This Year

While every year, our listeners have come by with many amazing food and monetary donations, I don't think I've ever witnessed a year as amazing as this year.

Filling one CHOW truck is quite a task, but because of the generosity of our community, one person, families, groups, organizations, schools, and businesses, you all filled TWO CHOW trucks this year! And those are big trucks.

Usually, the evening of the last full day (Sunday), the donations slow down, but not this year. They kept coming, and topped off the evening when the Binghamton Fire Department stopped in with NINE carts full of food. Thanks!

Even on the final morning, Monday, November 10th, food and cash donations flooded in. I asked Les Aylesworth, Director of Broome County CHOW, if that put a dent in their close-to-empty shelves at the warehouse, and he replied it was much more than a dent, thanks to the generosity of our community.

Read More: Winter Driving Is Here - Safety Tips To Remember

How Much Food And Money Were Donated To The Food Drive?

So, onto the totals (unofficial, since a few more food items and monetary donations are still coming in):

• Non-Perishable Food: Just over 10,000 pounds - 5 tons of food
• Monetary Donations: $11,175

That's a lot of food to help families in our community for the holiday season, and the monetary donations will go a long way in food purchases. According to CHOW, on average, they distribute 2.72 million meals annually through over 100 pantries and meal sites.

 For Food Assistance From CHOW

Anyone can fall into a need for help at any time due to job loss, health issues, or other situations, and may need some help putting food on the table for the family. If you need food assistance, contact Broome County CHOW through their website or call the CHOW Hotline at (607) 723-8960 or First Call for Help at 211 for a food pantry referral.

And a huge THANK YOU to all who stopped by with a contribution, including Gault Auto (above photo), Joe Stanley, Music For the Mission, Oliver's Campers of Norwich, NYSEG, 21st Century Pools & Spas, and Superior Plus Propane.

Every single food and monetary donation will make a difference to families in our community!

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