WTIC1080 Holiday Store Surpasses $300,000 for The Salvation Army

On behalf of all of us at The Salvation Army, we extend our deep gratitude to the wonderful residents in the greater Hartford area for your unparalleled support of helping those most in need this past holiday season. We are incredibly grateful to WTIC Radio, the Audacy team, and to the overall listening audience who supported the 36th Annual Holiday Store to benefit The Salvation Army. In total, more than $300,000 was raised to support programs and services, helping those in their darkest hours.

The Holiday Store was put together on a whim. Back in 1990, WTIC News Talk 1080 Promotions Director Jack Mitchell wanted to sponsor a holiday program that would enlist the community in a unified effort to help people in need. Using a donated store front on Pratt Street, WTIC personalities broadcast live from the downtown location - seven day a week, for 12+ hours each day for the entire month of December. Expectations were to fill the 700 square feet of space with non-perishable food, clothing, toys, household items, and money. The community's response was greater than anyone had anticipated. The store was filled to the ceiling more than 25 times! No one ever dreamed that the Holiday Store would turn into the huge success that it became. The local media deemed it Miracle on Pratt Street.

Each year the Holiday Store has grown exponentially to serve our neighbors in need. Corporate volunteers, families, school children, and donors look forward to the WTIC Holiday Store with great anticipation. The listening audience has become "the army behind The Army." The store has brought together folks from all walks of life and united them around a central cause just like Jack Mitchell envisioned. For The Salvation Army, the store is nothing short of a miracle.

Generous donations received during the Holiday Store directly benefit Salvation Army programs and services in the area, including the Marshall House Family Shelter, The Right Place Early Childhood Learning Center, The Bloom Initiative Anti-Human Trafficking Program, food pantries, emergency disaster services, emergency rental and utility assistance and much more.

We are so very grateful for the support of the public and WTIC 1080!

Sincerely,

Majors Donald and Paula Spencer
Greater Hartford Area Services Coordinators
The Salvation Army