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Meals on Wheels Hosts A Pasta Night Fundraiser on Thursday North Area Meals on Wheels Hosts a Pasta Night Fundraiser on Thursday

By Charles Marshall

CHARLIE MARSHALL: As volunteers pack and sort meals for the day. Executive Director, Jennifer Covert, plans the foundation’s annual Pasta Night Fundraiser. Normally a sit down dinner, for the past two years COVID-19 has forced the event into a drive-thru format — a feature, Covert says, many appreciate.

JENNIFER COVERT: People look forward to a drive-thru option. They want to participate, but they’re still a little nervous coming in. So I think it’s really good to have the option to not get out of your car and still be able to participate.

MARSHALL: Covert says she expects the fundraiser to bring in between 3000 and 4000 dollars. An added benefit, all the food served at the event is donated by sponsors — meaning more money goes directly to the foundation.

COVERT: We’re so lucky that we have a whole bunch of sponsors. Like Vince’s gourmet imports, they donate the meatballs, and then we have Paladino’s Pizza that does the sauce, and Mario’s Bakery that does the bread. So, we have a lot of local help, so we didn’t really have to worry about that for this fundraiser.

MARSHALL: North Area Meals on Wheels Kitchen Manager, Bryan Durst, says the event is always a highlight for participants and volunteers. He hopes this year brings a record turnout.

DURST: Absolutely, the volunteers all love to do it every year, we get a lot of support from them. The local community turns out for it. We do, hopefully, 300 people every year. We’re hoping to top that number and, you know, get a good turnout.

MARSHALL: The North Area Meals on Wheels will be hosting their annual Pasta Night Fundraiser this Thursday. On the menu is pasta, meatballs, salad, bread, even dessert. All in support of the seniors they care for. Reporting in Syracuse, I’m Charlie Marshall, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The North Area Meals on Wheels will host their annual Pasta Night Fundraiser on Thursday. The event starts at 4 p.m. and goes until 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 per adult and $6 per child, with all proceeds benefitting the North Area Meals on Wheels.

Kitchen Manager Bryan Durst, said this week’s fundraiser provides the bulk of support for the foundation into the new year.

“It’s a good fund-maker for us for the year,” Durst said. “It definitely helps out big time pushing through into the new year.”

Jennifer Covert, the Executive Director of the North Area Meals on Wheels, said this event typically raises between $3000 and $4000.

Covert also said ongoing concerns with COVID-19 mean that the event will be offered through a drive-thru and take-out format this year.

“Usually we have people come inside and we have a pasta dinner and the proceeds go towards our local seniors,” Covert said. “But this year, because of COVID, we’re gonna be doing it mainly drive-thru and you can come in and do take-out, as well.”

The food will be prepared at the North Area Meals on Wheels location, but it has been supplied by a number of sponsors around the Syracuse area. Donated food allows the organization to take home more from the collection of donations, which is especially important when the foundation has already started to see increases in food prices due to supply shortages across the country.

Ultimately, Durst said this yearly event is a good way for the community to show support for Meals on Wheels — but also for the foundation to show their appreciate for the community.

“Absolutely, it’s a great way for the community to support us, us to support the community,” Durst said. “The more the better and the local community is great to us.”

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