By Richie Sweeten
CCC Journalism Program
The week after Thanksgiving every year a special event is held for the needy. Hosts Preston and Steve from a local radio show called the Preston and Steve Show live out in a camper for a week and ask their fans to come out and donate canned and nonperishable food items as well as money donations. All the donations go to a local center called philabundance that provides food for the needy.
The donations usually open early in the morning when the show starts and the team does the show from the tent then all day every day for five days. There are guests and donations are accepted until 9 at night.
Preston and Steve offer incentives for those who donate. There are two categories – businesses and personal. Businesses only have one incentive and that is if they make the largest food donation the show will then go out and do a show at that company’s office. The incentives in the personal category range from suites at a sports game to autographed memorabilia from sports stars and rock artists.
Celebrity guests who attend the event usually give away things for money or other donations. For example, the governor of Pennsylvania said he would give away his tickets to the Super bowl if the Philadelphia Eagles were to make it in.
This year the campout received 263 tons and made more than $64,000. The winner of the live broadcast from the show was j.p. mascaro after donating 123,700 pounds. The amount of donations and the amount of money gained this year were more than the last 12 years.
While at the event on the Tuesday night it was held, Kyle Ehret of Collingswood said, “This is just an amazing event, I am so happy to help donate and I would love to thank these guys for doing this for the last 12 years.”
Droo Heacock of Oaklyn said, “I am surprised that it got so big in 12 years, going from only getting one ton of food in 1998 to getting 263 tons.”