Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry’s annual Radiothon raises $175K, surpassing goal

The Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry held its largest annual fundraiser, Radiothon, on Thursday, June 13, at Ballydoyle Aurora’s Loft 28.

Guests were treated to an evening of dinner, live music from The Funk Brotherz, a live broadcast from 95.9 The River, a silent auction, games, and a raffle.

This year, both the silent auction and raffle were opened in the lead-up to the event, allowing community members to participate in fundraising efforts virtually.

Event sponsors further bolstered fundraising efforts by matching every dollar donated to the event. Overall, the event raised almost $175,000, exceeding the pantry’s goal of $150,000.

Proceeds from the event will go toward stocking the pantry through the summer months, a period during which local area families cannot rely on school meal programs to augment their grocery budgets.

Longtime contributors to the pantry were recognized at the event. Radiothon founder and lead Dan Dolan of Dolan and Murphy Inc. Real Estate presented Gerald Auto Group with the Corporate Pantry Partner Award while Marilyn Weisner, the former executive director of the Aurora Food Pantry, presented the Pantry Partner Award to longtime board member Hilary Brennan.

Yet one individual reminded the audience why they were gathered that night. Rafael, a pantry neighbor, delivered a speech on the impact the pantry has had on his and his family’s lives.

“My wife sometimes talks to me from the kitchen telling me how much we saved in this dinner today,” says Rafael. “She starts adding the prices of the meat, the fresh vegetables and other food and she also reminds me of some of the food we receive that we cannot afford. Many times, volunteers’ faces come to my mind when we are eating.

“The food has its monetary value. But more importantly, it has an emotional value: getting the feeling of security. That feeling of security is what we experience when we know that we have enough food for the next day.”

“I am continually amazed at our community’s ability to come together to support the Aurora Food Pantry,” said Aurora Food Pantry Executive Director Katie Arko. “We talk about serving 1,300 families a week, which is true, but that’s just a number. Behind these statistics is a mom, dad, children, grandparents, or elderly neighbor that relies on food from the pantry to survive. We are extremely grateful for our volunteers and donors who make it possible for us to continue our work. The results of this fundraiser are proof that we care about each other, and we make sure those who are less fortunate will not go hungry.”

Founded in 1981, the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry (colloquially referred to as “Aurora Food Pantry”) operates one of the largest food pantries in northern Illinois, distributing 3.6 million pounds of food each year and serving 1,300 families each week. Its mission is to help end local hunger by ensuring that everyone has access to enough nourishing food, thereby helping our overall community stay healthy and productive. For more information, visit aurorafoodpantry.org.