Clark Howard this year brought back in-person donations for his annual donation drive for foster children in Georgia dubbed Clark’s Christmas Kids. The 32-year-old operation was all virtual the past two years due to the pandemic.
As usual, the WSB radio listeners came through: More than 7,400 foster children will each receive three gifts this Christmas. The station raised more than $1.1 million. While most gifts were donated through the website and app, Howard and WSB held two Walmart in-person donation days earlier this month.
In the past, the station would hold 10 such events. “It took some effort to get back to two. We’ll see what we do next year,” Howard said at the event in Roswell with WSB radio hosts Mark Arum, Shelley Wynter and Eric Von Haessler.
But he said there was demand for a return for in-person events. “We had done it this way for decades,” he said. “A guy told me he has come every year since 2007. He was so upset about 2020 and 2021. He came here today and was so excited.”
Howard marvels how much time has passed. “I was a young kid when this started,” he said. “Now I’m an old fart!”
The revered Atlanta consumer advocate now splits his time among residences in Florida, Georgia and New York City. He continues to run a successful website clark.com and an accompanying podcast. He retired his long-time syndicated radio show two years ago, which used to be heard on WSB radio and hundreds of other stations.
For Clark’s Christmas Kids, the Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia also helped make it happen.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@
Credit: RODNEY HO/rhoj
Credit: RODNEY HO/rhoj
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
***
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Actress Emily Blunt earlier this week on “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” shared her utter hatred of cockroaches and blamed it in part by her stay in Atlanta while shooting the Netflix conspiracy drama “Pain Hustlers” this past fall.
The audience applauded.
“I was just in Atlanta for 11 weeks and there was a bit of an infestation at my house and I’ve never been the same since,” she said.
***
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@a
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@a
Elle Duncan, who started her media career in Atlanta and is now a popular ESPN “SportsCenter” host, came back to Atlanta this past week for the Celebration Bowl and to support Helping Mamas, a nonprofit group that provides essential baby supplies for women in need.
Duncan, who left Atlanta in 2014 and has worked with ESPN since 2016, said she has worked with Coca-Cola on the Celebration Bowl several years, but Helping Mamas is a new relationship that she hopes to foster for years to come.
Her time at ESPN, she said, has also been fruitful. Besides anchoring, she now helps out with the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in March. “It allows me to stretch a different muscle,” she said. “I tend to do a lot of in-studio shows. This is me out in the environment and reminding me why I love sports.”
Many of her family members have moved away, but she still enjoys visiting friends.
“We used to come home and speed date everybody,” she said. “Now it’s easier.”
Duncan started her media career at 790/The Zone but spent a bulk of her adult life in Atlanta as a host on V-103.
About the Author
