Charity golf tourney raises funds for grassroots summer food program

Diaz Companies hosted a charity golf tournament earlier this summer with proceeds going to a grassroots program focused on feeding kids during the school break.

The tournament raised $21,147.77, said Shantel Gamble, of Diaz Companies at a check presentation held at Tall Pines Players Club on Friday afternoon. “We know the Summer Lunch Box program is a good organization. All the proceeds will go toward that.”

The first time event saw a full house of 36 teams hit the course, with many people helping on the day of the event and in the planning stages, Gamble said. In addition to the golfers, hole sponsors and basket raffles helped generate funds for the program.

Since 2011, the Summer Lunch Box program, based in Hop Bottom, has been serving the Mountain View School District. This summer, service was added to Choconut Valley Elementary.

Paula Smith of the Summer Lunch Box program said the donation means the organization can “branch out” – a move already in progress. “This summer we spent $20,000 on our food distribution,” Smith said. “This will allow us to branch out to other schools,” Smith said.

Next year, the Summer Lunch Box program will also launch at Lathrop Street Elementary, and Smith said she would like to bring the program to the Elk Lake School District next year as well.

“We’ve always wanted to do it, we just didn’t have the funding,” Smith said.

This year, the Summer Lunch Box program served 199 children in its last distribution – which included students from both Mountain View and Choconut Valley.

Smith said Montrose Area Superintendent Chris McComb was key in helping to bring the program to Choconut this summer. “He was able to put us in touch with the right people,” she said.

In its first year effort at Choconut –which got underway after the school year ended – over 30 students were served.

The Summer Lunch Box program provides food to children during the summer months. Distribution began in the Mountain View School District in 2011. The Summer Lunch Box program is a grassroots effort completely supported by community donations and fundraisers. Specific food items are collected and donated by local churches and organizations.

For information on how you or your organization can get involved or make a monetary donation, contact: Paula Smith, PO Box 74, Hop Bottom, PA 18824; email: summerlunchbox@gmail.com or find Summer Lunch Box on Facebook.