Radio stations raising money for Road Home shelter


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SALT LAKE CITY -- Local radio stations are in the midst of a two-day radio-a-thon raising money for the Road Home Shelter in Salt Lake. The broadcasts are the largest fund raiser for the shelter each year.

Sage is only 4 years old, but has lived here at The Road Home shelter for the past two months. She's having a ball with the fundraiser, and doesn't realize that all the activity is really about her, and many other homeless Utahns who rely on the services there.

Matt Minkevitch, executive director of the Road Home said, "This helps us to provide services to people from our community who need to get off the streets and out of the cold and make their way back into housing."

Road Home Holiday Radio-a-Thon

This is the 18th annual Road Home Radio Broadcast. Nine radio stations from the Simmons and Bonneville radio groups having a friendly competition to see who can bring in the most money.

Through Thursday and Friday the on-air teams will ask listeners to join the cause. The donations are already ahead of last year's pace, and it doesn't take much for listeners to call in.

"One guy did $25 to have me do a Hot Rod Hundley impression, or just random stuff," Tony Parks with 1280 The Zone said. "Whether it's a one dollar donation or a thousand, it goes a long way."

Outside, the donations have poured in all day. People drop off clothing, food and other items, and there's a big need. The Road Home has seen a 260 percent increase in homeless families in the past five years. The goal of the radio station drive is $1.2-million this year, and donations, so far, are on pace to hit that.

And earlier Thursday, long-time Utah financier and philanthropist, Spencer Eccles sat down with one of the radio teams and handed a gift to The Road Home's executive director.

"So I here is a check for $100,000, and that's from the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation," he said.

The Radio drive goes until 8 p.m. Thursday and again from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.

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Keith McCord

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