WAUSAU – A special education teacher in the Wausau School District seeks donations for his annual fundraiser Wausau Area Food for Hope Turkey Drive.
“As someone who grew up poor, in a dysfunctional family, I have experienced poverty firsthand,” Rob Hughes said in a news release. “When I was younger, strangers came to our house and dropped off food, and gifts for Christmas one year. A long time has passed, but the kindness and compassion of these strangers have always been on my heart.
“In 2016, I decided to try to raise money to buy turkeys to give back to my community. We raised around $1,500, purchased the turkeys, and gave them away. The next year, a friend at parent-teacher conferences asked if I was going to do it again, and gave me some money. Originally it was going to be a one-and-done operation, but this parent’s action inspired me to do it again.”
After six years, Hughes has raised more than $50,000.
How it works
Each year, Hughes partners with a grocery store – this year it’s Festival Foods – to buy turkeys and hams using the money he raised. Then, he gives them away, for free, in November to more than 25 area schools and community organizations.
Pickup this year is Nov. 17.
Hughes uses Venmo, PayPal, and the Wausau School Foundation to collect donations. You also can log on to Wausau Area Food for Hope Facebook page for more information.
Wausau Schools Foundation donation page is thefoundationwsd.networkforgood.com/projects/165627-support-wsf.
Hughes also seeks a corporate or company sponsor who’s willing to match donations up to $5,000.
