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SALT LAKE CITY -- Rarely can two Utah cities win at least $100,000 with just the click of a mouse. But that is exactly what is happening through Walmart's "Fighting Hunger Together" Facebook campaign as Salt Lake City is currently ranked 2 and Ogden is ranked 4.
A huge surge in votes Tuesday night lifted Ogden from 15 to 6. But more votes for Salt Lake City and Ogden are needed to ensure each city wins at least $100,000 each.
Walmart, GiftCard Bäks and Utah Food Bank are encouraging all Utahns to vote for Salt Lake City and Ogden from a list of 100 communities where hunger rates are the highest. The city with the most support will receive $1 million in grants and the next five cities with the highest support will receive $100,000 each.
The Utah Food Bank is getting hungry for votes.
18.2% of families in Salt Lake City cannot afford regular meals.
"It could make a huge difference to Utah," said Ginette Bott with the Utah Food Bank. "For every dollar that comes to us, we are able to turn it into $7 worth of goods and services."
Ogden and Salt Lake City are in great need of it.
"This past year has been different in that it has gone up so quickly; the need has gone up 40 percent over where it was last year," Bott said. "We're expecting the next 12 months to see it go up even higher as well."
Walmart Market Manager Kevin Forsgren explains all the ways to vote:
"After you click on ‘Like,' post a comment," he said. "When you post a comment that will also count as a vote."
Votes are also counted when you interact with other people's posts.
"You can go to other people's Facebook pages that have posted a comment, ‘like' their comment, and that also counts as a vote," Forsgren said. "Just keep doing that to add up the votes."
Bott and the rest of those at the Utah Food Bank say they check votes constantly, and already know who the money would help the most -- if Salt Lake or Ogden wins.
"The largest population we serve in Utah are children: 42 percent of who we serve are kids," Bott said. "One in seven children in Utah are at risk of being hungry."
The voting ends midnight on Dec. 31. CLICK HERE to log on and keep "liking" until Friday night.
You can vote for both Ogden and Salt Lake to keep both cities in the top five.
To vote for Salt Lake City, CLICK HERE.
To vote for Ogden, CLICK HERE.
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Story compiled with contributions from Amanda Butterfield and the DMC News Division.
