OLD BRIDGE – The Old Bridge Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Presidents’ Council participated in a Pay It Forward activity, raising about $10,000 to provide food for families in the community for the Thanksgiving holiday, according to an Old Bridge Township Public Schools release.
The PTA presidents asked their schools’ principals how many families were in need of Thanksgiving dinners for the holiday.
As a result, 74 families were provided fully cooked Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings, which were purchased from Stop and Shop on Route 34 in Matawan. The families also received a $60 Walmart gift card along with Thanksgiving plates, napkins, a platter, and a table centerpiece, the release said.
The PTA Presidents’ Council distributed postcards, which were given to the families with instructions on how and when they could pick up their dinners. Some families requested that their food be delivered to their homes, which were honored through PTA Presidents’ Council board members.
The money was raised through a variety of activities, including a collection at each school’s PTA meeting and a Music Bingo event, which brought in more than $1,000 for the dinners, the release said.
Some schools held a coin collection with Shepard Elementary School taking in $693. In addition, the PTA Presidents’ Council received a $500 Pride Grant from the Old Bridge Education Association and the Old Bridge High School football team donated $500.