Holiday raffle raises $3,760

WARWICK — On Sunday, Nov. 18, a drawing was held at Grappa Ristorante on Railroad Avenue in the Village of Warwick to select the winners of the 2012 Backpack Snack Attack Holiday Raffle.

Since January 2009, elementary school children in this area have been taking advantage of this local charitable program designed to insure that they always have enough to eat.

It’s called the Backpack Snack Attack and it’s supported by many local businesses.

The Warwick Reformed Church on Maple Avenue originated this program, available to public elementary schools in Warwick, Florida, Pine Island and Greenwood Lake.

Program volunteers stuff backpacks with food for needy children to enable them to eat at home on weekends when the free breakfast and lunch meals they receive at school are not available.

Currently the organization feeds 281 children. That equates to more than 5,200 bags of food per school year.

“To protect their identity the schools provide a number assigned to each needy child,” explained Program Executive Director Shirley Puett. “The backpacks, with individually sized and ready to eat or microwave ready food items are then sent home with the children every Friday and returned to the schools the following Monday.”

Local benefactors

This fall, Backpack Snack Attack volunteers sold more than 300 Holiday Raffle tickets. And thanks to gift certificate contributions from local businesses including Grappa Ristorante, Eclectic Eye, Eddie’s Roadhouse, Emerald Point, Fetch Bar & Grill, Landmark Inn, Coquito, Fratellos, Halligans, La Petite Cuisine and Taco Hombre, along with individual cash donations and a fund raiser by Peck’s Wines & Spirits, the Holiday Raffle raised $3,760.

Grappa Ristorante sponsored the event and donated the grand prize; a Thanksgiving Day basket valued at $150 and a $100 gift certificate.

Warwick resident Helen Lee was the lucky winner of the holiday basket and Stacie DeMaro of Newburgh won the $100 gift certificate.

For more information about the Backpack Snack Attack program, visit www.backpacksnackattack.com.