It’s that time of year again: the Raccoon Valley Radio’s annual Caring Christmas Food Drive.

The program starts this week and runs through December 17th, with a multitude of locations throughout the listening area taking part. Raccoon Valley Radio General Manager John McGee says the community can drop off non-perishable food items or cash at any of the locations at any time. However, he points out that whenever the Big Red Radio is at a locale during the promotion you can expect something exciting to take place, such as matching donations from that location’s sponsors.

McGee emphasizes that all the food and money donated during the program will go directly to that area’s food pantry, so everything collected at the Perry Hy-Vee will be dropped off at the Perry Area Food Shelf, for example. He adds, it’s important to keep the shelves full this time of year, and he’s confident they’ll be able to do so. “Basically, we saw the need to give back and to keep helping fill our food shelves. As everybody knows, this time of year the need for food is extremely high. People’s budgets get a little bit tighter as they’re buying gifts and those type of things. So we thought, ‘Hey, let’s use the power of radio to remind people of giving.’ And then we’ve got some great partnerships with area businesses and local grocery stores to work together on this. And then of course the community coming out. It’s been successful, and I have no reason to believe it won’t be successful again this year.”

In addition to the natural high of giving to the needy, McGee says another incentive to donating food is that you will be entered to win the $1,000 grand prize with the Caring Christmas Cash Giveaway. Keep listening to Raccoon Valley Radio throughout the holiday season for specific stops for the Big Red Radio, as well as the new feature of daily “Cash Calls.” To learn more about the Caring Christmas Food Drive, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.