Confections for a Cause: Italian Ice Event Raises Money for Charities

Dozens of children and mothers celebrated a break in the recent rain with an Italian ice, a spin of a wheel, and the chance to win prizes yesterday, all for good causes.

The MOMS Club of Woodbridge, a local branch of an international group to connect stay-at-home mothers with one another, held a fundraiser at Rita's Italian Ice at the A&P Shopping Center yesterday. 

"Everybody is happy today. Business is just booming!" beamed Elaine Hou from behind the counter at Rita's. Club members were working the counter, serving up Italian Ice and other confections to a line of kids and moms.

In a tent in front of the storefront, a bean bag toss and wheel of chance were doing a brisk business. Moms paid a dollar for a try at the wheel, and kids tossed beanbags for more prizes. Every 20 minutes, a raffle was held to award more prizes.

Six-year-old Caitlin McNish, whose number was picked in one of the raffles, won a Rita's cup filled with stickers and other little treasures. She shared her bounty with her twin, Christina, as their mother, Kathleen McNish of Woodbridge looked on.

McNish, a former MOMS Club member, supports the group's efforts. "It's a fun day," she said. Little Caitlin agreed.

"I feel great," she said as she fished around in the Rita's cup for more bounty.

"It's a great group. We've made a lot of friends," said Shawn Ryan, who was working the tent concessions with fellow club member Michelle Ligouri, the group's membership coordinator. 

The two women, who wore MOMS Club polo shirts, have been club members for years - five years in Ryan's case, and 8 year's in Ligouri's.

The story of long-lived memberships in the group was true throughout the lively membership of moms, starting from the Woodbridge chapter founder, Amy McDevitt. She was handing out Italian ices with Hou, and started the local group 11 years ago, when her son, David, was a toddler. He's now 13.

"I was a member of the Edison group. I thought we could start one here," McDevitt said. The Woodbridge chapter started out with 14 members, and now boasts about 50.

The club gives mothers an outlet for themselves, and a chance to socialize with other local moms. "We were looking for events that didn't cost a lot to do. We'd arrange playdates, go to parks, things like that," said McDevitt. "It was a chance to get out of the house."

The day's fundraiser will benefit two charities close to the hearts of club members: to help fund an American Cancer Society's Relay for Life team and to help Parents of Autistic Children, Hou said.

One of the club members is running the ACS relay team, and another mother in the group has an autistic child.

Current president Stacy Gibb spent her time working at the tent games. "Business at the wheel is great," she said. 

The MOMS Club of Woodbridge is always looking for more members. For more information on the club, email Michelle Ligouri, the membership coordinator, at maligouri@comcast.net.