St. Joseph Home and School raffle will benefit needy of the Valley

Photo

Special to The Vindicator

GIFT BASKETS: This year St. Joseph Home and School annual basket raffle is doubling as a food drive for the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Food Pantry. Items to be raffled at the event are displayed by, from left, Tom Williams, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of St. Joseph’s; Carlie Chepke; Nicole Zielinski; Lindsay Ignazio and Vinnie Boerio, student council officers of the St. Joseph School.

AUSTINTOWN — St. Joseph Home and School has chosen “We Can Make a Difference” as the theme for an annual basket raffle fundraiser. Scheduled for this weekend, the event will be from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday, with the drawing to take place at 2 p.m.

Baskets for the entire family have been prepared for the raffle. They are suitable for all ages and interests, and some are even filled with items for the family dog and cat.

More than 150 items will be raffled, and there will be a 50-50 drawing, lottery balloon, and door prizes. Winners do not need to be present to win.

Preview hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday during the St. Joseph Knights of Columbus fish fry.

Joint effort

This year the Home and School has paired with the St. Vincent de Paul Society to benefit the needy of the Mahoning Valley by expanding the event to include a food drive. Anyone taking a nonperishable food item to the event will be given a ticket for a special drawing with a grand prize worth more than $200.

Nicole Fryfogle, committee co-chair, says, “In these tough economic times our country is facing, the parents of St. Joseph School wanted to not only help the school raise money, we also wanted to give to those less fortunate than ourselves.”

The kitchen will be open on both days and there will be a sale of homemade baked goods.