Fourth annual WCSD School Pantry: Food 4 Families Golf Tournament scheduled for Saturday, June 19

Rachel Burt, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read

May 16—WATERTOWN — The fourth annual Watertown City School District School Pantry: Food 4 Families Golf Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, June 19, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Highland Meadows Golf Course.

For the past six years, the Watertown City School District, in partnership with the city of Watertown and the United Way of NNY, has implemented a backpack program to support children and their families with food. Food 4 Families meets the needs of hungry children by providing them with nutritious and easy-to-prepare food to take home on weekends when other resources are not available.

Every Friday, a bag filled with food by high school students and community volunteers is sent home with each student enrolled in the program. The program began at Starbuck Elementary during the 2015-2016 school year. During the 2016-2017 school year, Ohio Elementary was added, and since the 2017-2018 school year, the program has served all eight schools in the district.

As continuing the effort requires the support of the community, the golf tournament was started four years ago to benefit the program, but community members may also support Food 4 Families with a tax-deductible contribution. To do so, they're asked to send a check to the United Way of NNY, 200 Washington St., Suite 402A, Watertown, NY 13601, with "WCSD Food 4 Families" on the memo line. The United Way partners with the Food Bank of Central New York to buy nutritious food at lower prices, stretching dollars donated to the program.

The public is asked to contact Tara Ramie at (315) 785-3760 with tournament and sponsorship questions. Those interested in joining the Food 4 Families team can contact either Stacey Eger at (315)785-3708, Lisa Blank at (315) 785-3709, or Peg Drappo at (315) 786-5071.