Press Release: The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Club Radiothon Raises $1.5 Million in 24 Hours.
The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit's 32nd annual Bed & Bread Club Radiothon, presented by the Ford Motor Company Fund, announced $1,501,751 in donations to combat hunger and homelessness at tonight’s conclusion of its 24-hour event, hosted on News/Talk 760 WJR.
For its ninth year of partnership with The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit, the Great Voice of the Great Lakes extended the marathon broadcast with a virtual fundraiser that kicked off on-air Thursday evening. The event shifted to a live broadcast throughout Friday from One Campus Martius in downtown Detroit, the location generously secured by Quicken Loans.
WJR personalities Guy Gordon, Frank Beckmann and Mitch Albom hosted the live broadcast, joined by special guest host Jim Vella, president of Ford Fund, Salvation Army National Advisory Board member and Radiothon corporate chairman. He announced a total of $200,000 in matching contributions from the Ford Fund throughout the day and circled back late afternoon to make a personal $10,000 family donation.
Bed & Bread Club Radiothon founder and Detroit radio hall of famer Dick Purtan assumed hosting duties twice during the day, closing out the broadcast with members of Purtan’s People and a matching donation of $32,000 from the Dick & Gail Purtan Family Foundation.
Among the day’s other large contributions:
· Jack and Annette Aronson donated $75,000 through the Artichoke Garlic Foundation.
· A total of six anonymous donors contributed a combined $212,952, including nearly $56,000 from one supporter specifically earmarked to cover costs for an entire year of bread.
· Reflecting 32 annual fundraisers, Pat Moran and Edsel Ford II with his wife, Cynthia each generously donated $32,000.
· The Salvation Army Metropolitan Detroit Advisory Board provided $32,000 in matching funds.
· The Suburban Collection and comedian Tim Allen each contributed $30,000.
· The final tote included $25,000 each from Ally and DTE Energy Foundation.
· The tote board grew $25,000 through the presentation of Comedy for a Cause proceeds from Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle and Michigan Financial Companies.
· General Motors generously donated $20,000 to the Radiothon.
· Marathon Petroleum Corporation pledged a year’s worth of gas to keep Bed & Bread trucks on the streets, while Toyota Motor Sales USA contributed $15,000 on top of its donation of women’s and children’s footwear through the automaker’s “Walk in My Boots” program.
· BullsEye Telecom donated $15,000 in-kind services to power the phone bank.
· AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Pat Milliken Ford each contributed $10,000.
Dean Sellers Ford incentivized donations throughout the day with a 24-month lease on a 2019 Ford Escape.
“’Doing the Most Good’ requires the hard work and dedication of many groups, from generous donors and sponsors to dedicated Salvation Army officers and Bed & Bread truck employees,” Major Russ Sjögren, general secretary and metro Detroit area commander for The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division. “We are enormously thankful to News/Talk 760 WJR, Ford Fund and our corporate chairman Jim Vella and the many generous corporations and business leaders who’ve helped make this year’s Radiothon a success.”
About The Salvation Army Bed & Bread Program
The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit’s Bed & Bread Program serves more than 3,800 meals each day to men, women and children who would otherwise go without. That’s more than 1.4 million meals every year. In addition, the Bed & Bread Program provides over 131,000 nights of shelter annually. The Bed & Bread Program is unique in that it serves many people via mobile soup kitchens. The Bed & Bread trucks are on the streets of Detroit 365 days a year making designated stops throughout the day.
In its 32 year history, The Salvation Army Bed & Bread Club Radiothon has raised $36,229,626.