TimesLeader.com

March 6
'Little Give' rallies school community

Abington Heights Middle School counselor's role in WKRZ contest uniting community with positive energy

By Christopher J. Hughes chughes@theabingtonjournal.com

CLARKS SUMMIT - Stacey Bamford said she felt inspired last Sunday.

Watching the premiere of the new ABC prime time television series "Oprah's Big Give," a show that encourages contestants to change the lives of complete strangers, the Abington Heights Middle School counselor said she would love the opportunity to do something similar.

"Giving to others is something I really believe in," Bamford said. "It looked like fun, and I thought I would like to do something like that."

Lucky for her, directors at the local radio station 98.5 WKRZ had the same feeling. "It was such a cool idea, people doing things for other people. Obviously, we don't have her (Oprah Winfrey's) budget," said WKRZ on-air morning personality Sue Barre when asked about the stations "Little Give" contest.

WKRZ provided five contestants from across their listening area, including Bamford, with $10 and a challenge - use the money to make a difference. The results have been staggering.

"They have just taken it to not just one but several new levels," Barre said. "It's amazing what they have done. We started on March 4, and just two days later these women have raised hundreds of dollars."

Bamford first learned of the contest during her drive to work on Monday, and she placed several phone calls to the studio's toll-free number before finally getting through to become a contestant. "I never thought I would get through," she admits. "It was very exciting in the car."

After joining the contest, Bamford had 24 hours to determine a cause. A trip to the Chinchilla Post Office to set up a post office box for the contest gave her an answer. "One of the women there mentioned St. Francis (of Assisi) Soup Kitchen, and it hit me," she said. "Hunger is such a basic need, and it's something everyone can relate to. Not everybody around here has a roof over their head or three meals a day and the opportunities that I'm blessed to have. I decided to do something with my energy that would impact a lot of people."

Others of the five contestants are raising funds for a shelter for battered woman, a local single father who is raising infant twins and a first grade student at Wallenpaupack Primary School who has Neurofibramotosis.

Bamford's unique position as a school counselor at Abington Heights Middle School has allowed her to mobilize the district-wide community to raise funds for the soup kitchen. Barre and fellow morning disc jockey Rocky Rhodes have also agreed to appear at a future event for the Middle School team that raises the most money for the cause, according to Bamford. "Rocky and Sue have been so great, and their willingness to come to the school as a gift is great," she said.

Classes are vying for their chance at an audience with the morning disc jockeys. Members of the after school Rock Band Club may hold a benefit concert to raise money on Monday, March 10. The Eight White team will host a raffle of various items at an art show this evening, Thursday, March 6, beginning at 7 p.m. Numerous other teachers have devised top secret methods of raising funds and one anonymous faculty member donated $100, enough to pay for the cost of one meal at the kitchen through its "Host for a Day" sponsorship. Each meal the kitchen provides serves an average of 200 to 250 people. Representative from the kitchen estimate that 7,000 meals are served each month at their location.

Bamford has two goals for the contest. She said she plans to reserve her $10 and donate it directly to the soup kitchen, and she said she hopes to raise $3,000, enough for the kitchen to provide one meal per day for 30 days.

"It's created such a fun buzz in the building for the chance to make a difference. It's a perk I didn't expect," Bamford said. "The whole district has really mobilized to support me."

Collections end on Tuesday, March 11, and each contestant will provide on-air recaps of their projects on Wednesday, March 12.

Want to help?

What: WKRZ's "Little Give" contest, including Abington Heights Middle School counselor Stacey Bamford. Bamford, one of five contestants, is collecting money to benefit the St. Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen in Scranton.
When: To March 11.
Info: Donations of any size may be delivered to The Little Give post office box at the Chinchilla Post Office, 102 Shady Lane Rd., Chinchilla, PA 18410. Checks should be made payable to St. Francis Soup Kitchen. For more information, contact Stacey Bamford at 585-4316. Full contest details and contacts for each contestant are available at http://985krz.com/The-Little-Give/1766243.