KING 5 viewers on Saturday opened their hearts, cupboards and wallets to help those less fortunate around the Puget Sound area.
KING 5 is again joined Northwest Harvest for the 11th annual Home Team Harvest Food Drive.
This year's goal was to collect enough food and money to provide one million meals to people through Northwest Harvest. The final tally was 2,453,297 meals raised - 1.5 times the goal.
Donations have been down 70 percent from this time last year, a dire circumstance for our most vulnerable - children, the elderly and now with this poor economy - first time clients are coming in too.
But also coming in were compassion, support and help.
"I did it because I too have been on the down side where I needed help and to help someone and to teach my son who's seven to teach him what it's like to help someone who is less fortunate this holiday it means a lot,” said Nicole Gerde.
It wasn’t just food that was donated, money was also coming in from all over. KING, KONG and Northwest Cable News employees donated over $7,000.
But one group really showed its commitment. In an amazing gesture of generosity, the Puyallup Tribe donated $250,000.
“It’s an unbelievable donation,” said Shelley Rotondo of Northwest Harvest. “Sixty-seven cents buys a meal for a family so you can imagine how many meals are in that huge donation.”
“I cannot thank these folks enough, unbelievable,” she said.
“We don’t want to give the impression that the tribe’s very wealthy,” said Frank Wright of Emerald Queen Casino. “But we’ve all experienced situations, that we come from poverty, you know, before we had the casino we had lots of tribal members that were having to go to food banks and receive this type of assistance and we want to be able to give back to the community.”
Cash and donations were being accepted at several locations, including Everett Mall, Northgate Mall, Redmond Town Center, the US Bank branch in Tukwila, Tacoma Mall, and new this year: Kitsap Mall and Top Food in Aberdeen.
You can also make a $10 cash donation by texting "HOMETEAM" TO 85944.
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