Feinstein's Crusade to Fight Hunger Raises a Record $105 Million for Children and Families in the U.S.A.

CHICAGO --- June 25, 2004 --- For the seventh consecutive year, Rhode Island philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein's annual spring challenge to fight hunger has raised millions of dollars for agencies throughout the country feeding the needy.

Nearly 1,600 anti-hunger agencies and houses of worship used Feinstein's challenge to raise a total of $105.7 million last March and April from over half a million donors.  Feinstein's $1 million is divided proportionally among them.  A list of participating agencies and what they each raised from this challenge can be viewed on: www.feinsteinfoundation.org.

"Alan Shawn Feinstein has shown what one man can do to advance the cause of fighting hunger," said Robert Forney, President and CEO, America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief charity. The Oregon Food Bank, the South Plains Food Bank and the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano were among the participants from the America's Second Harvest network of food banks and food-rescue organizations.

Feinstein started his $1 million yearly challenge in 1997, prompted by reports from emergency food providers of increasing need. In the past 7 years his annual challenges have raised over $350 million to help the hungry.  It has become the most successful grassroots campaign to fight hunger ever.

Feinstein is founder of the Center for a Hunger Free America at the University of Rhode Island and the Feinstein International Famine Center at Tufts University.