Local Union Band Provides Free New Year’s Meals | News, sports, jobs

Provided photo: The Union Local School Marching Band is ready for its annual fundraiser. Band members participate in community outreach by delivering meals to the Union Local District community.

BELMONT – Members of the Union Local School District community can benefit from the annual marching band event “March forward!” Fundraising and service project that donates free meals to people in the district.

Union Local Band Boosters member Tracy Bober said the idea behind the project is to raise money from donors to sponsor meals. The food is cooked, packaged and delivered to people in the school district on New Year’s Day. Bober said the meals can go to anyone in the Union Local School District, and marching band members deliver the fresh meals for them to enjoy.

Bober said the meals are not necessarily intended for disadvantaged people, but for anyone who wants to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day.

“It is both a service project, in terms of food delivery, and a fundraising project, collecting donations to pay for the meals.” Bober said. “We’re trying to feed between 300 and 400 people in the Union Local School District. The children really enjoy speaking and interacting with the residents of the district and we are making a name for ourselves as a support organization.”

Each year the supporters and band seek sponsors from around the area who can donate to this fundraiser so that food can be purchased, packaged and distributed.

“It is important for the children to learn how to do something for others, to get involved in the community and to support the community. And it’s also good for a fundraiser because we can earn some money to support the children again,” Bober said. “So it kind of goes both ways. It supports the community that supports the children.”

Bober said the band members’ parents cook and package the meals, and then the students deliver the meals to the selected people who receive them.

Boosters will receive a list of names in the district who will receive the meals, as well as a list of names of people who will donate toward the cost of the meals. This can be anyone who would like to donate.

The suggested meal donation is $20 per meal, but any donation is welcome, Bober said. Donations can be mailed to Union Local Band Boosters at Union Local School, 66779 Belmont-Morristown Rd, 43718. You can also donate to Bober’s Venmo in Tracy-Bober-1. Anyone can suggest someone for a meal. So if anyone feels like they know someone who deserves a meal, contact the Band Boosters and let them know the recipient’s name and address at [email protected].

Bober said there are typically two shifts of boosters who work early in the morning and later to prepare the meals to be delivered.

Anyone can donate, but recipients are part of the local Union School District.

“The kids really like it” Bober said. “They like to go out and talk to people, and that gives them a little bit of a sense of doing things in the community and making a little effort to make someone’s day.”

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