Bowling Fundraiser Raises Money and Awareness to Help End Hunger

It should come as no surprise that the present state of the economy has increased the number of families struggling to put food on the table.

“There has been a marked increase in the number of people Woodbridge food pantries serve,” said Peter Barcellona, chairman of 'We Feed,' a group devoted to stocking the township's foodbanks. “We estimate serving over 500 families a month.”

Last night, the 2nd Annual Bowl for Hunger charity event at the Woodbridge Bowling Center set out to put a dent in the problem of hunger in the area. Presented by Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin, Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation, and Middlesex Water Company, the event attracted 384 bowlers who participated in the fundraiser. The bowl-a-thon aimed to raise awareness about hunger and to increase donations for the 32 food pantries in the 19th Legislative District, an area Coughlin represents in the state assembly. The district includes Woodbridge, South Amboy, Carteret, Perth Amboy, and Sayreville.

Many of the event’s corporate sponsors assembled teams to partake in a little friendly competition during Bowl for Hunger’s two sessions, and other members of the community paid $15 for a good time and a good cause.

“All the money raised is collected in one large pot and divided equally among the 32 food pantries in the district,” said Coughlin, who also serves as Woodbridge's municipal attorney.

Last year’s event was held in October and raised over $10,000. By 6 pm last night, the proceeds had already surpassed last year’s event.

“This is really a great event, and it’s the least amount of work I’ve ever had to do to request donations from people,” the assemblyman said.

Coughlin said he's always looking for ways to make a difference in the community in addition to his legislative work. He considers feeding people to be fundamentally important because hunger knows no bounds; it can affect anyone.

He partnered with Raritan Bay Medical Center and Middlesex Water Company to host Bowl for Hunger, as well as reached out to corporate sponsors and the 19 District’s five mayors for support.

“This is a non-partisan event,” Coughlin said, “all the mayors support it and even paid for the t-shirts the bowlers are wearing.”

Coughlin expressed that the need to feed people is integral to the human condition, which is why the community and all the mayors in the district came together to support the cause.

There are eleven food pantries is Woodbridge alone, and they struggle to provide families the products they need in the summer months, Barcellona said, due to a decrease in donations and an increase in demand.

“The event was a big help last year because we were able to purchase the things we needed that public drives often do not provide, such as hygiene products,” Barcellona said.

“We Feed,” the Municipal Food Bank Committee, meets once a month to allow community organizations that provide food to needy families to network with each other, share supplies, brainstorm ideas for different drives, and work together to reach out to the community.

Community outreach is one of the main reasons Dennis Doll, CEO of Middlesex Water Company, helped sponsor the first and second annual Bowl for Hunger events.

“Our company tries to get involved in charities that help our customers,” said Doll.

Employees of the Middlesex County Water Company and their families collected a large number of food and monetary donations throughout the year, and many of them were present and bowling in good form.

Michael D’Agnes, president and CEO of Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation, became involved with the fundraiser in an effort to promote wellness within the community.

“As a hospital, we are very interested in wellness, good nutrition, and helping people receive good nutrition,” said D’Agnes.

Raritan Bay Medical Center is responsible for dividing the donations equally and distributing them directly to the food pantries; there is no overseer or special charity fund.

With the support of over fifty sponsors—including Woodbridge Patch—and the participation of community residents, Coughlin said the Bowl for Hunger fundraiser was an overwhelming success, Coughlin said.

“Because of this event, there are now many hungry people who can be fed,” he said.