HEB staff are shown Tuesday evening presenting San Benito Food Pantry volunteers with a check at The Workout in San Benito. San Benito High School Assistant Principal Rey Saldaña is the event coordinator for an event, entitled the Christmas Fun Run/Walk, in which The Workout is sponsoring along with the assistance of HEB. (Staff photo by Michael Rodriguez)
By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
Can you imagine starving on Christmas Day?
There are individuals and families in the very community of San Benito who do not have enough to eat; to help, The Workout, a local gym, is sponsoring the first ever Christmas Fun Run/Walk to benefit the San Benito Food Pantry on Saturday, Dec. 8.
San Benito High School Assistant Principal Rey Saldaña is the event coordinator. Saldaña said the idea to host a drive came from a conversation between Saldaña and Juanita Rodriguez, owner of The Workout. He said, “We wanted to do something for a nonprofit, here in San Benito. We’re aware that there are a lot of toy drives, and drives for blankets and coats…so we came up with this event, that we’re hoping can become an annual event. We’re hoping to target a new nonprofit every year in San Benito.”
Lidia Garcia, president of the food pantry, is ecstatic about what this benefit will mean to the organization. She said, “We are always in need of food. We distribute every Wednesday.” Garcia and other volunteers arrive on Tuesdays to package food in bags for individuals in need. Garcia said last week the facility provided food for 454 families. “We’re expecting to have more than 500.”
“As we have this fun run walk,” said Saldaña, “we’re asking people to dress up in Christmas attire: Santa, elves, whatever they deem Christmas attire. We are going to have a costume contest.”
The entry fee to participate in the Fun Run/Walk is $15 per person and $10 for children younger than 10. People are welcome and encouraged to form teams, which can consist of up to 10 people per team. For those who want to show their Christmas spirit by wearing a costume, medals will be awarded for the best dressed team. Parents with young children are invited to enter the stroller decorating competition.
All the proceeds from the 2012 Christmas Fun Run/Walk go to benefit the San Benito Food Bank.
The San Benito High School band and choir will be performing from 4-6 p.m., “So we can listen to Christmas music while we’re walking,” said Saldaña. “We’re also going to have free moon jumps for the kids…and in the evening we can all transition to the parade downtown.”
One special feature at the event, which groups, churches and interested individuals can take part in is the Fill-a-Truck contest. Saldaña said, “Any club, organization or church that wants to sign up for this challenge, we’ll give them permission to drive their truck inside the park area. They can bring a sign for their organization.” The business or organization with the most canned goods will receive a plaque.
Garcia explained that the food pantry serves families every Wednesday morning. On Tuesdays, volunteers bag nonperishable items like pasta, cans of food, beans and rice, with other items such as bread. Each eligible person or family can visit the pantry once a month and collect two bags of food.
Garcia explained families and individuals seeking food items must meet income guidelines. “We have guidelines of income for one person and two persons, how much they earn to qualify,” said Garcia.
The San Benito Food Pantry is run by volunteers. Garcia said they hold fundraisers but depend on the donations of schools, the support of grocery stores like HEB and Walmart and support from contributors who donate monthly. She said the police and fire department hold fundraisers to collect cans. While there are grant monies available to the food pantry, it’s not near enough to meet the needs of everyone within the community.
The Fun Run/Walk will be held at the Heavin Amphitheater in San Benito from 2-4 p.m. For more information, call Saldaña at (956) 622-2733 or Rodriguez at (956) 742-8312. For information on how to make a donation to the food pantry, call (956) 399-1659. They are behind Chuy’s Custom Sports located at 162 E. Stenger.
Read this story in the Nov. 28 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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