Fuccillo Kia Holiday Challenge helps Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida raise more than $659,000
Billy Fuccillo, CEO of the Fuccillo Automotive Group, has announced that the Fuccillo Kia Holiday Challenge has helped the Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida raise more than $559,000 since Thanksgiving, plus a $100,000 donation from Fuccillo Kia of Cape Coral. The donation was presented to the food bank on Christmas Eve.
Fuccillo promised to match every donation to the food bank from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve up to $100,000. Fuccillo also gave out more than 300 turkeys to local families before Thanksgiving.
“I want to congratulate Southwest Florida for stepping up to the plate and making sure so many of our community members won’t go hungry this holiday season,” said Fuccillo. “We are so happy we made the decision to call Southwest Florida home and have realized, like so many others who are moving here, what an amazing place this is for families.”
The donations will help the Harry Chapin Food Bank provide food to 30,000 individuals and families it serves each month from Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties. The Harry Chapin Food Bank can distribute $6 worth of food and grocery items for each donated dollar.
Fuccillo’s match means the food bank will be able to distribute $1.2 million more worth of food. In fiscal year 2014-2015, the Harry Chapin Food Bank provided 18.4 million pounds of food, valued at about $31.3 million, to more than 150 partner agencies. This was the equivalent of about 15.3 million meals.
“Mr. Fuccillo’s match helped to spur additional gifts,” said Miriam Pereira, the food bank’s development director. “In total, the food bank has raised $559,000 since Thanksgiving, in great part, because of Mr. Fuccillo’s support,” she said. “We are very grateful for his support of the food bank and his wish to ensure that our neighbors in need have food for the holidays and throughout the year. Mr. Fuccillo is a great community partner.”
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Fuccillo Automotive Group is the largest automobile dealership group in New York state. Owned by Billy Fuccillo, the Fuccillo Automotive Group comprises 25 dealerships and 31 franchises with locations across New York state and Florida. For more information, visit www.fuccillo.com.
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The Harry Chapin Food Bank is an affiliate of Feeding America, a network of 200 food banks and the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. The Harry Chapin Food Bank has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the national nonprofit watchdog organization, for six consecutive years.