Hare traditionally uses his birthday week in mid October to raise money for the Second Harvest Foodbank.

In the past, his Richard 's Birthday Raffle has raised $300 to $400. This year, to mark his 40th birthday, he set the ambitious goal of raising $1,000 to help feed the poor.

Did he succeed?

Did he ever.

"The outpouring of support has been absolutely astounding, " said Edgewood President Judd Schemmel.

Hare went to Second Harvest on Tuesday with a wrapped box containing checks for $14,352. And money is still arriving at the school.

"In the end, it will grow to over $15,000, " Schemmel said. "The final total remains to be seen, but it will grow and grow. "

Second Harvest Executive Director Bob Mohelnitzky said that amount of money will provide 103,000 meals from the agency's donated food, or enough to feed 25 families for a year.

"He's quite the hero around here, " Mohelnitzky said.

Mohelnitzky said he remembers other years, when the modest Hare would ride three buses to bring his donations out to Second Harvest 's far East Side warehouse.

This year, Edgewood officials drove him, along with his customary gift of balloons.

Schemmel said there was a special prayer written for Hare 's birthday, the Edgewood chorus sang "Happy Birthday " and children presented him with nine home-baked birthday cakes.

-- Susan Lampert Smith

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