WPDH Listeners Donate Record Amount of Gift Cards for Veterans

Many Hudson Valley veterans will have a very Merry Christmas this year thanks to the kindness of the WPDH radio listeners.

The Boris and Robyn Show hosted its annual gift card drive during the month of December. Each Friday the show broadcast live from a different Dunkin' location and invited listeners to come and donate a gift card that would be given to a local veteran.

As an added incentive, listeners were also entered to win prizes like boxes of Omaha Steaks and concert tickets. Kelly Bilyou from Poughkeepsie won the grand prize, which was a pair of tickets to see the Rolling Stones at Metlife Stadium in 2024.

Record Amount of Donations Received For Hudson Valley Veterans

This year's gift card drive resulted in over $3,500 in gift cards and cash donations for our veterans. Commander Tom Zurhellen of the Poughkeepsie VFW has made sure that every cent has gone to local veterans.

Cards were distributed throughout the Hudson Valley to organizations such as Vet2Vet in Ulster, Orange and Dutchess as well as Hudson River Housing, which operates Liberty Station, a supportive living environment for veterans.

Zurhellen says that many of the veterans become emotional after receiving their gift cards. While getting an unexpected gift card is a welcome surprise, Zurhellen says that it's the realization that someone thought enough of them to donate a card that touches them.

The annual holiday gift card drive wouldn't be possible without the support of our local Dunkin' stores in Fishkill, Wappingers and Hyde Park, as well as MHA of the Hudson Valley and Omaha Steaks. Of course, most of the credit for this year's record-setting total goes to the listeners who came out to support the cause, many of whom are veterans themselves.