Trick or Eat – one down – one to go!
Trick or Eat volunteers with the 'loot' they collected for Neighbour to Neighbour Foodbank in Manitouwadge.
MANITOUWADGE, ON – Residents of Manitouwadge didn’t disappoint Sunday evening, October 24th, as they opened their doors to 32 kids and 14 parents, many of the latter dressed up as well, enthusiastically participating in the Trick or Eat food drive. Neighbour to Neighbour volunteers were very pleased with the amount of food that was collected, an dropped off to the doors of the Our Lady of Lourdes church basement which houses the Food Bank! Some parents and children remained after collection to assist with sorting and received a tour of the Food Bank complete with inspirational learning opportunities for all involved.
Trick or Eat Manitouwadge organizer, Natalie Labbee, offered special thanks to Barrick Gold and Marathon’s Signs and Embroidery who graciously sponsored the lime green recyclable cloth bags that were originally intented only for Marathon kids to go “Trick or Eating” but were diveed up by the organizer there, Karen Richard, who gladly shared 100 bags with the Manitouwadge group. They certainly contributed, helping those whose homes were canvassed, recognize the costumed volunteers as “Trick or Eaters”. Labbée also offered thanks to media sponsors the Echo, CFNO & OntarioNewsNorth.com “For providing such great coverage for us in the last few weeks”; to Grant Goodwin for his downtown Manitouwadge news board and to both FP Gorges & Sons (Frank’s) & Rousselle’s Valu Mart grocery stores in Manitouwadge, each donated cases of chips for the kids (and parents!) who came out.
Labbée guessed a retail value of approximately $2000 of food had been collected for Manitouwadge’s Neighbour to Neighbour Food Bank through the initiative. Food bank volunteers have the daunting task of sorting through all of the donated non-perishables in the coming week.
Food Bank volunteers remind everyone that their are people in our community in need of support from the food bank throughout the year; school and grocery store campaigns help keep the program running, as do sponsorships but there is always need for more. With the holiday season nearly upon us, and Community Christmas Hampers to be distributed December 18th this is a time of year when our food bank is in more demand, if you have non-perishable food or hygeine products (diapers, personal hygeine products, cleaning products, are all consumables which are sometimes forgotten as necessaries which the food bank is happy to receive) to donate or some time to give as a volunteer, call Carol Baye for more information on how to give or what help is needed (hours of operation are primarily intended for those in need).
Friday, December 17th, the 2nd Annual Community Christmas Showcase & Sing-a-long will be held at the Manitouwage Highschool Auditorium and is gearing up to be even bigger than the 1st. This is yet another wonderful opportunity to bring non-perishable items to help re-stock the Food Bank!
Labbee also offers wishes of Good Luck to Karen Richard, Marathon Trick or Eat Organizer, adding that Richard was her “Inspiration for this worthwhile event”.
Marathon’s First Trick or Eat will be held Halloween Night, anyone interested in participating please contact Karen Richard for more information. at the THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED MAKE THIS YEAR’S EVENT SO SUCCESSFUL!
WATCH VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH ORGANIZERS from Marathon & Manitouwadge at the original article about this incredible initiative at http://www.OntarioNewsNorth.com/?p=19102
Reene Warren, a.k.a. the friendly witch.
Kim Chisolm & Carmen Vrbanzic sorting donation in the kitchen at Our Lady of Lourdes church.Darrel and Kim Chisolm came to help with their children Noah and Hailey.
