PRESS RELEASE:

KUED-Channel 7 and KUER-FM 90 and UEN will once again call upon the generosity of the community to help provide holiday meals and warm clothing for needy Utah families at the annual Winter Charity Drive. The drive, nearly a 20-year tradition, will be held Friday, December 19, from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the Eccles Broadcast Center, 101 South Wasatch Drive.

Last year, the annual drive provided food and clothing for approximately 400 families. This year, public broadcasters hope to collect enough food and warm winter wear to provide 500 families with traditional Christmas meals and clothing.

Donations of any non‑perishable food items are welcome, but the following items are needed most for this Christmas collection:

Meats ‑ frozen turkeys, hams and chickens

Vegetables ‑ canned, instant or fresh potatoes and yams, canned corn, peas, pumpkin, cranberry sauce, etc.

Stuffing mixes and rice

Cookie, cake and other dessert mixes

In addition, the Broadcast Center will be collecting gently used and new winter clothing, coats and blankets and especially hopes to be able to fill the need for socks and gloves.

The food will be collected under a canopy on the curb in front of the Eccles Broadcast Center and delivered to Crossroads Urban Center. The items will then be sorted and distributed to families in need in time for the holiday.

Broadcast Center employees will be on hand to unload donations so donors won't have to get out of their cars. For those who can't make it to the grocery store, monetary donations to Crossroads Urban Center will be accepted to help purchase additional food.

The Eccles Broadcast Center is located just north of Fort Douglas and directly east of the dormitories and distinguished by the large satellite dishes on the northwest side of the building.

If you have questions about the Winter Charity Drive, contact KUED's Community Outreach Coordinator, Jacqui Voland, at 585-3523, or KUER's Tristin Tabish, at 581-7549. If you would like to help sort and/or distribute the holiday food packages after the collection, call Crossroads Urban Center at 364‑7765. Donations of non‑perishable food are always welcome at Crossroads Urban Center, which is located at 347 South 400 East.

Information is also available at www.kued.org and www.kuer.org