Archive for December 14, 2009
Benefit Raises $1,600 Plus Gift Cards and Food Donations
Contact:
Rich Klein (Smallwood)
LawFirmsPR
Tel: (888) 714 – 5266
rich@lawfirmspr.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friends4Friends Holiday Party/Benefit At White Lake Firehouse Raises $1,600 Plus Gift Cards, Food Donations
Donations To Help Shepherd’s Food Pantry in Bethel and Support Local Fire Departments
White Lake, NY, December 14, 2009– Despite tough economic times, Bethel and Sullivan County residents showed great generosity at the Friends4Friends benefit/party at the White Lake Firehouse Saturday night (December 12),
The holiday celebration, aimed at helping Shepherd’s Food Pantry in Bethel and the three local fire departments, raised $1,600 in cash/checks, $80 in gift cards and many packaged food donations. Fifty percent of the proceeds with go to Shepherd’s Pantry, along with the many large bags of packaged food people brought to the event. The other half of the proceeds will be distributed among the White Lake, Kauneonga Lake and Smallwood/Mongaup Valley Fire Departments – all who responded to the devastating November 7 fire at Friends Pub in Smallwood.
Jim DiCarlo, owner of Friends Pub who spoke at the event, said: “I took for granted how much the fire companies do. They did a tremendous job at saving that building. They are the ones who deserve all the credit for what’s happening tonight. If it were not for the fire companies, who knows what might have been.”
Friends4Friends gave representatives of each fire department a Certificate of Appreciation that were presented by Town Supervisor Daniel Sturm.
The event was truly a “taste of Sullivan” with many delicious plates donated by many local restaurants and free beverages provided by County Fountain Supplies.
Rich Klein, a spokesperson for Friends4Friends, said: “We are thrilled at how everything turned out: from the amount of money raised and goods donated, to the great spirit of giving by individuals and businesses and the holiday spirit that filled the room. The Friends4Friends committee was so inspired that, before the night was over, we were already talking about doing this every year.”
He added that so many people volunteered to make the event a success, from middle/high school students serving food and supervising little kids at the drawing tables, and cleaning up, to senior citizens staying late to mop the floor.
Cobalt Studio’s Rachel Keebler, donated her face painting talents while John Slaver and Louis Landon donated the musical entertainment for the entire evening.
The event was created by Friends4Frends http://friends4friends.wordpress.com, a small group of concerned citizens who wanted to support Friends Pub owners Jim and Mary Ellen DiCarlo as they rebuild in coming months and plan their grand re-opening for this spring.
Those who want to donate can continue to do so. Just email Jo-Ann Peabody at mrspeabody@hvc.rr.com, or call her at 845-798-5885. Donations can also be mailed to Friends4Friends, C/O Malek Properties, PO Box 567, White Lake, NY 12786. Checks should be made out to: BLDC.
DiCarlo also told the crowd that the demolition of Friends Pub in Smallwood is now complete and that new construction is about to begin this week, noting that the new Friends Pub will have some additional space when it reopens this Spring.
More information about the event, a list of restaurants that donated and progress about the rebuilding of Friends Pub, can soon be found at http://friends4friends.wordpress.com, http://twitter.com/friendspub, on the Smallwood, NY page on Facebook as well as on other pages/blogs/websites about Smallwood, Bethel, Sullivan County and the Catskills.
Founding Members of Friends4Friends: Carol Malek and Tina Guarini of Malek Properties; Jo-Ann Peabody of Jo-Ann Peabody Management; Lori Rubinstein-Fleck of RubyFlecks Creative Consulting; Rich Klein of LawFirmsPR; Paul Ciliberto of Bold Gold Media; Denise Frangipane, Town of Bethel Councilwoman and Daniel Sturm, Town of Bethel Supervisor.
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