ENM Assists with Rotary Club’s Pasta Party to Benefit Starfish Pack Program
- By Admin
- •
- 04 Jan, 2019
ENM’s Colin Lacey and Daniel Greenhalgh
are members of
“The Starfish program began in Abbotsford and has since spread to other communities throughout BC and Canada,” says Dan. “I think it’s in over 100 schools now.”
The idea came from teachers who noticed
that some of their students were coming in on Monday
“It’s just a great idea, a great way for Rotary members like us to directly assist the neediest people in our community,” says Colin. ““We meet every Thursday and we work together to pack hundreds of backpacks with two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners and a bunch of healthy snacks. These packs are delivered to schools on Friday and the kids who need them take them home.”
These kinds of fundraisers are essential to keeping the project going. It’s funded entirely by donations and staffed by volunteers from Rotary and other organizations. Teachers report huge improvements in their students’ reading and math skills and their ability to focus.
“There’s not a lot of learning going on when you’re hungry,” says Dan.
The Pasta Party was $20 per ticket and included with gourmet pasta, meatballs and homemade sauce from Bonetti Meats.
“The previous year, Colin was a cook. The
food was great, but I think there might have been a slight improvement this
year with Bonetti
The event included a silent auction of donated items like meat baskets, cheese trays, and weekends at timeshares.
“100% of the money raised goes towards funding the Starfish program,” says Dan. “The cost of this program is pretty low, and it’s organized by local business people who are skilled at implementing projects of this scale. It’s very efficient. If this was done through a government program, I guarantee you it’d be ten times the cost and a whole lot less streamlined. It’s great to be able to be involved in this kind of thing through Rotary.”
To donate to Starfish directly, please visit their website.
