LA # 1 talk radio station, KFI AM 640, organized the massive effort with an on-air campaign held Nov 15 – Dec 3 with the support of Smart & Final locations in CA, AZ and NV and Wendy’s Southern California locations.
The 13th Annual PastaThon sponsored by KFI AM 640 has raised a record $1,273,120 plus 81,000 lbs. of pasta for Caterina’s Club, an organization founded by Sir Bruno Serato that aims to erase food scarcity throughout Southern California, particularly among children. Serato’s nonprofit feeds hot pasta meals to some 25,000 children each week, finds housing for families in need and trains at-risk youth for careers in the hospitality field.
LA # 1 talk radio station, KFI AM 640, organized the massive effort with an on-air campaign held Nov 15 - Dec 3 with the support of Smart & Final locations in CA, AZ and NV and Wendy’s Southern California locations. While Smart & Final raised over $332,000 in its stores along with a $5,000 donation from its charitable foundation, Wendy’s has already donated $100,000 with more to follow as it will be extending its collections through December 10. In addition, Teacher Created Materials, an organization in Huntington Beach that develops innovative educational materials for students worldwide, coordinated a fundraising drive that raised $10,000, which was matched by the company, and more than 30,000 lbs of pasta and sauce.
“There are no words to adequately thank KFI AM 640 for their unwavering support and for making it easy for their generous listeners to contribute to Caterina’s Club,” says Serato, founder of the nonprofit that he named for his beloved mother. “This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we’re delighted that it keeps growing and growing each year, which, of course, is critical to helping us fulfill our mission of service. I thank everyone at KFI for their selflessness, dedication and tireless devotion to making this year’s fundraiser a record-breaker.”
“On behalf of the entire team here at KFI AM 640, we wish to express our gratitude to our loyal listeners for their overwhelming generosity in making this year’s PastaThon the best yet," says Robin Bertolucci, Program Director for KFI-AM 640. “We also thank Smart & Final and Wendy’s for their incredible support.”
Adds KFI AM 640 Executive Producer Michelle Kube, “From Bill Handel, Amy King, Gary and Shannon, John and Ken, Tim Conway, Jr., and Mo Kelly broadcasting live all day and all of the rest of the KFI hosts and staff, we are so proud to do this for Caterina’s Club, which is helping feed children right here in our backyard who might otherwise go to bed hungry. But we could not do this without the generosity of the KFI family of listeners. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts.”
In addition to feeding the hungry, the nonprofit also finds permanent housing for families in need and introduces at-risk youth to careers in hospitality. For his work on behalf of Caterina's Club, Serato has earned international publicity including profiles in People Magazine and has appeared on countless TV news and talk shows including "The Drew Barrymore Show," "Access Hollywood," "CBS Evening News" and "NBC Nightly News." Among his many honors: CNN Hero, knighted by both the Italian government and the House of Savoy, Ellis Island Medal of Honor, a papal blessing from Pope Francis, humanitarian award on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, and numerous proclamations, Man of the Year awards and other forms of recognition -- all of which he accepts to generate public awareness of Caterina's Club. For more information, visit www.caterinasclub.org
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