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Naperville-based company aims to stay positive, raise money for Loaves & Fishes

A Naperville-based company's virtual event Wednesday is doubling as a fundraiser for Loaves & Fishes Community Services, which organization leaders say has seen a dramatic increase in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

REFUEL was launched about four years ago to bring inspiration to Dealer Inspire employees with a lineup of celebrity guest speakers, CEO Joe Chura said. To fill the event's usual venue - Naperville's Yellow Box - he decided to sell the remaining tickets to the public and donate all proceeds to Loaves & Fishes.

Though this year's event is free and online, REFUEL is still accepting donations to benefit the hunger relief agency, he said, with Dealer Inspire's parent company and event sponsor, Cars.com, pledging a matching contribution of up to $25,000.

Speakers include pro skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk; ultramarathon runner Mirna Valerio; entrepreneur, author and rapper Jesse Itzler; multiplatinum songwriter and award-winning poet IN-Q; and game designer and wellness leader Jane McGonigal.

"The mission is to spread positivity, especially during this crazy year," said Chura, who also sits on the Loaves & Fishes board. "We're aiming to have our best year ever."

After months of increased community need and a decline in volunteer hours, the fundraising push "couldn't come at a better time," Loaves & Fishes CEO Mike Havala said.

Before March, the nonprofit was serving an average of 22 new families each week in the DuPage County area, he said. When the pandemic hit, that number increased to 193.

The total number of families served also spiked from 750 per week before the coronavirus crisis to more than 1,300 the week before Thanksgiving, Havala said. The agency's food supply costs doubled, he said, as did its expenses earmarked for rental, utility and other assistance programs.

"There was a level of need before the pandemic, and there will continue to be even after the pandemic," Havala said. "With the spike up in coronavirus cases that we've seen here this fall and more people losing their jobs or losing part of their income, we've seen that need grow more than it ever has."

The COVID-19 crisis has also shifted the way Loaves & Fishes serves the community, he said, pointing to a transition to curbside pickup and virtual programs. And yet, the organization had to cut volunteer hours by about 80% to adhere to social distancing and safety guidelines.

"The bottom line is, we've had to do a lot more with a lot less," Havala said.

The money raised by REFUEL goes toward providing food and other emergency services "to help people survive long-term and be more self-sufficient," he said.

The live event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. To register or donate, visit www.dealerinspire.com/refuel.

A virtual event hosted Wednesday by Naperville-based Dealer Inspire will be accepting donations to benefit Loaves & Fishes Community Services. Courtesy of Loaves & Fishes
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