Making Kids Count benefits from dinner

CANFIELD

Making Kids Count recently had its first benefit dinner at Avion on the Water in Canfield and raised $8,000 for the organization. Funds will be used to launch a new program at McKinley Elementary School in Lisbon.

The DeBartolo Corp., Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and Cake Boutique were the sponsors. Other businesses donated baskets and items for raffles and basket auctions.

Through Second Harvest Food Bank, Making Kids Count sponsors a weekly Back Pack Program for 75 students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program and provides each with a bag of food to last them through the weekend. Participants were also asked to donate canned food items for a chance to win a grand prize and 1,825 pounds of food were donated.

Making Kids Count Inc. is a 501 (c-3) nonprofit organization that believes every child deserves to feel special. It has a number of programs that enable them to host birthday parties for children in shelters, provide gifts for patients at Akron Children’s Hospital, gives new mothers baby bundles with some of the beginning necessities, helps local schools with volunteers, aids the back-to-school program, diaper bank and more.

The organization has programs in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties and is looking for new volunteers and new ways to fulfill its mission in the Mahoning Valley and surrounding communities.

Funds come exclusively through donations from the community. Any size donation is appreciated.

For information visit www.makingkidscount.org.