20th year of Share Your Holidays begins

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) -- The holiday season gets underway this week and we’re excited to begin our 20th year of Share Your Holidays. During the last 19 years, we’ve collected more than $1 million in donations. But we can’t do it alone. You have helped the cause by easing the burden for those who may be struggling this holiday season. And we need your help again this year.

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE

Share Your Holidays is WSAW and WZAW’s annual fundraiser for the Salvation Army of Wausau, The Neighbors’ Place and Peyton’s Promise.

Major David Womack from the Wausau Salvation Army said they typically help between 450-500 families each year. They also serve about 100 each day with their meal service. He said donations can go a long way to help those struggling in our community.

‘Need knows no season,” Womack explained.

He said they are also now seeing people who have never needed help before, likely due to soaring costs.

You can make a monetary donation to Share Your Holidays online at https://www.incrediblebank.com/syh. You can also drop monetary donations off at any Wausau Area Incredible Bank branch. Or send a check, made out to Share Your Holidays to 1114 Grand Ave., Wausau, WI 54403. We are also collecting non-perishable food items at our studios in Wausau.

Thanks to generous matching grants, each dollar you donate become $2, up to $76,000. Sponsors of Share Your Holidays include: The BA and Esther Greenheck Foundation, the MacDonald Foundation, the Miller-Halverson Family, the Dudley Foundation, JX Truck Center, Wagner Shell, and Incredible Bank. Studies show food pantries are able to buy one to three meals for every dollar donated to them.

Mark your calendars for these Share Your Holidays events:

Friday, Dec. 2: Wausau Holiday Parade

NewsChannel 7 staff members will collect canned food items for Peyton’s Promise during the parade route. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 16: Celebrity Gas Pump

NewsChannel 7 staff members will pump your gas at Wagner’s Shell gas stations from 6-9 a.m. in Weston or 4-7 p.m. in Wausau during our Celebrity Gas Pump in exchange for a monetary or food donation for Share Holidays.

Wednesday, Dec. 21: Share Your Holidays Phone Bank

Incredible Bank staff will volunteer to answer phones as we collect donations for Share Your Holidays from 4-6:30 p.m.

Share Your Holidays runs through the end of the year. And as always, thank you for Sharing Your Holidays.

Copyright 2022 WSAW. All rights reserved.