Rotary Club donates food to families in need

Giving Back
Shown are San Benito Rotary Club members grouped together after feeding families.
(Courtesy photo)

By LOUIE DIAZ
editor@sbnewspaper.com

In place of their annual Shrimp Fest fundraiser, the San Benito Rotary Club donated hundreds of pounds of shrimp to needy families on Saturday, March 27.
Shrimp Fest is an annual event sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of San Benito and Harlingen. According to Dr. Olivia Rivas, the President of the San Benito Rotary Club, the event usually takes place in Harlingen. Tickets are sold to the event and three to four streets are blocked off for the festivities. However, due to the pandemic, the fundraiser was cancelled, so the clubs decided to give away the shrimp this year.
“We contacted the United Way who, in turn, contacted the parental involvement offices of Harlingen and San Benito school districts,” Rivas said.
Complimentary tickets were given to families identified by the San Benito school district’s Family and Community Engagement Department, directed by Luis Gonzales. At the event, families presented their tickets and picked up bags of cooked shrimp and cocktail sauce. According to Rivas, the shrimp was cooked at the Loaves and Fishes facility in Harlingen.
Shrimp Fest is the rotary clubs’ signature fundraising event. Together the clubs form the Shrimp Fest Board of Directors. Funds collected are used by the three clubs to organize community projects.

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