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| Happenings & Features |
| December, 2007 |  Table to Table Volunteers "Wrap Up Your Holidays"At a beautifully appointed store in The Shops at Riverside, with sponsorship from (201) Magazine, holiday gifts were made even more delightful in the capable hands of Table to Table volunteers. 100% of the $10,000 raised through this annual charity event was donated to our food rescue program. |
Ramapo Ridge Middle School Fresh Food Drive Surpasses Greatest Expectations!  The Student Council members of Ramapo Ridge Middle School in Mahwah outdid themselves again this year as they inspired students, parents, and faculty to contribute more than 3,000 pounds of exceptional quality fresh food to their holiday food drive. Scheduled for Thanksgiving week, Table to Table’s food recipients were extremely grateful to receive many of the necessary fixings for holiday dinners, including fresh turkeys, vegetables, fruit, and fresh milk. Also donated were pizzas and many pounds of pasta prepared by Jersey Boys Restaurant in Mahwah, owned by a Ramapo Ridge parent. |
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| October, 2007 |  Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch Raises More Than $60,000!The second annual Bag a Lunch initiative concluded on a high note, increasing donations by more than 50% over the 2006 campaign. Businesses, schools and volunteer groups throughout the area (Wyckoff Y Swim Team pictured) rallied on October 24th to make this year’s program a success. Read More |
| June, 2007 | Full House, Full Heart, Full Stomachs David Burke, passionate Table to Table Board Member and celebrated Chef/Owner of davidburke & donatella restaurant, won a triumphant upset victory in this year’s  Celebrity Chef Charity Poker Tournament sponsored by Foxwood's Resort Casino on Saturday, June 16th at the 25th annual 2007 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. As a result, Table to Table will receive $10,000 -- enough money to serve more than 100,000 meals to our hungry neighbors in northern New Jersey.
David is not a poker player; in fact, he had never even played the game before. So when he was asked to join the competition by colleagues Bobby Flay and Tom Colicchio, both hot shot poker players and frequent winners of this tournament, he thought it was a big joke. But David’s warm heart and loyalty to friends, aided by a competitive nature, gambler’s instinct, and willingness to act on a whim, led him to accept their challenging invitation and he designated Table to Table as the beneficiary of his potential  winnings.
When asked about the experience, David said that he "just learned as we went along. I felt like I was one of the Sopranos.” In fact, at one point in the game he was almost out. But whether it was beginner’s luck, undiscovered natural talent or divine intervention, seasoned players Flay, Colicchio, and Ming Tsai found David to be unbeatable. “We are thrilled with this gift,” says Table to Table’s President and founder Claire Insalata Poulos. “We'll apply it to our Endowment Campaign where it will continue to work for this community for years to come. And we send our congratulations to David! Obviously, he's a very quick study.” |
| May, 2007 |  Lillian Booth, a philanthropist and guest at our Chefs Gala, upon listening to Table to Table President Claire Insalata Poulos’ inspirational speech, decided to make a $50,000 contribution to the organization. This spontaneous announcement was met with a standing ovation and Ms. Booth’s donation will be placed directly into the organization’s endowment fund, where its value will help assure that Table to Table’s services become a permanent gift to the community; |
| Mazel Tov to Benjamin Goldner on his Bar Mitzvah and Happy Birthday to Rudy Mueller, a member of Table to Table’s Board of Directors, both of whom were tremendously moved by the experience of riding on Table to Table’s truck for a day. Benjamin requested that his guests contribute to the organization in lieu of giving him Bar Mitzvah gifts, and Rudy requested donations in honor of his recently celebrated “milestone” birthday. More than $35,000 has been received in their honor, which translates conservatively into more than 350,000 meals. | |
The Junior Woman's Club of Ridgewood raises mo ney to benefit local organizations through a variety of events held throughout the year. In response to a grant request submitted by Table to Table, the Club elected to donate $3,175 this year to help fund Table to Table’s van driver's salary. The check was presented to Executive Director Ilene Isaacs at the Club's year-end luncheon by Tricia Mueller, the Charity Liaison, and the outgoing Club President, Liz Wellinghorst. Last year’s donation was designated by the Club to pay for a six month supply of steamer pans used to transport food from Table to Table's donors to its recipients. |
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| The Colonial Road School in Franklin Lakes hosted its fourth fresh food drive for Table to Table. Students and parents received immediate feedback about the value of their donation as items were weighed and students were told how many meals their donation would provide as their bags of food were placed into Table to Table’s refrigerated truck for delivery later that day. 358 pounds of food (enough to provide 550 meals) were collected in just 45 minutes! Parents encouraged the children to grow their own produce for the fall drive by giving them a packet of seeds for each pound of food donated. | |
To read more, go to our Archives...
Credits
PrivacyTable to Table • P.O. Box 1051 • Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Email info@tabletotable.org • Telephone (201) 444-5500