Bill
Ayres is a radio talk show host, former Catholic priest, and co-founder and Executive
Director of World Hunger Year (WHY). He began hosting a weekly radio talk show
on New York radio station, WPLJ (95.5 FM) in 1973. Since then he has taken more
than 20,000 calls and offered advice on questions about relationships, spirituality
and social values. After interviewing singer/songwriter Harry Chapin on his show,
the two became friends and decided to collaborate on something they were both
passionate about -- helping to end world hunger. Together they started the nonprofit
organization World Hunger Year in 1975, and set out to raise funds and awareness
through grassroots efforts and by engaging celebrities and political leaders to
get involved. Harry Chapin did much of the work at first, helping to raise money
through benefit concerts, but after he died in a car accident in 1981, the organization
struggled for a while. In 1983, Bill Ayres took over as Executive Director and
has been at the helm ever since, often using his radio show to raise awareness
about this important issue. Each year WHY sponsors two major fundraising events
-- Hungerthon, broadcast during Thanksgiving week, reaches 6 million people, raising
awareness about hunger and poverty; and the annual WHY Awards Dinner honors grassroots
hunger organizations. Bill Ayres has also helped to organize two national hunger
coalitions and helped to co-found a local food bank in his own community, Long
Island Cares.
