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Date: 11/3/2021
LUDLOW- On Nov. 1, the Ludlow Community Center/Randall Boys and Girls Club kicked off meal orders and its online action ahead of this year’s Fall Feast, which takes place on Nov. 12.
Ludlow Community Center/ Randall Boys and Girls Club Special Events/Relationships Coordinator Cristina Jardine said the Fall Feast is the club’s biggest fundraiser of the year despite changes due to COVID-19.
“Last year with the pandemic we opted to do a drive through, socially distant fundraiser event and this year we opted to do the same thing again because it was so successful last year, people really rallied around getting to help the club and support local restaurants at the same time,” she said.
Jardine said the club is working with two local restaurants to offer a variety of meal options.
“We are partnering with two restaurants in Main Street Tavern and Tony and Penny’s. All the meals are family style, so it is a main dish with sides, salad and bread. There is pot roast, roasted chicken, a pork marsala, haddock and a vegetarian option as well, so hopefully there is something to suit everyone’s palate,” she said.
Jardine said meal pickup is as easy as getting in line at the club while the volunteers run the food out to the waiting cars.
Along with the meals, Jardine said a new addition this year is an online auction.
“A new thing we are offering is our online auction so it is a way even if you are not interested in eating a meal, or if you are you can do both, you can bid online right from your phone on some great items. It was a great idea because holiday shopping is going to be tricky this year with shipping delays, we know there are going to be challenges,” Jardine said.
Between holiday gifts and other experiences, Jardine said the auction has something for everyone.
“We have some great items for kids, home décor, games and experiences so we thought we could tie them together. One of the things we are most excited about in partnership with Treehouse Brewing Company is a facility tour with transportation provided by Springfield Mercedes. It is an opportunity to explore and sample the brewery, the distillery and the coffee roastery,” she said.
Meal orders end on Nov. 10 but bids for the action will be taken until Nov 13.
“We are launching on Nov. 1 and we will accept meal orders between Nov. 1 and Nov. 10 but the auction will continue through Nov. 13, that way you can get your meal and have a nice dinner and check back in on your auction items and place the final bid the next day,” she said.
Jardine added that she wanted to thank Luso Federal Credit Union for sponsoring this year’s feast.
All proceeds from the event will go directly back to the club because of challenges related to COVID-19.
“It has been so challenging to host any kind of in-person events and any in-person programming has been focused on the community, the youth we serve and the adults we serve because we know how important the club is for parents to have a safe, fun place to bring their kids for sports or before or after school,” she said. “Our pool and our fitness room are important parts of the community that have closed because of the pandemic so we have been focusing on making sure we can get those up and running.”
Jardine said she was excited to see how the online auction turns out.
“I am really excited about the auction and seeing how people react to it. The club has always had an in-person auction for a long time, I feel like it is synonymous with our club so we have been sad about not being able to host in person for two years now but we are hoping people will see this as a way we are listening to our supporters and a way to have fun even if we cannot be together,” she said.
Anyone interested in purchasing a meal or placing a bid can do so online at https://event.auctria.com/b066aeaf-90e7-4504-8766-959ad9d09a66/aa6cd270-8751-11e9-a741-3fcfcb35cbb0.