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BBQ for Starfish in Maple Ridge

Westminster Savings Credit Union will be holding a BBQ fundraiser
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Westminster Savings Credit Union will be holding a fundraiser for the Starfish Backpack program on Aug. 31. (THE NEWS/files)

Demand keeps growing for the Starfish Backpack program, a program that feeds children in need in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

The program supplies special backpacks that are filled with enough food for two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners, plus snacks for children in need on the weekends during the school year. They are packed by volunteers at Burnett Fellowship Church before being delivered to participating schools in the community.

Meadowridge Rotary launched the Starfish Backpack project in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows at the end of September, 2016.

Currently the program provides 76 backpacks per week in eight schools in the district. However, Ineke Boekhorst, past-president of the Meadowridge Rotary, says the need in Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows is anywhere in between 120 to 150 packs.

Each backpack costs $525 and that covers one student for the entire school year. Schools are added to the list based on funding.

“If we have more money then we can supply more kids,” explained Boekhorst.

“I have two more schools that have asked and I told them you are on the waiting list. When I have enough funding I can add you to our list,” Boekhorst said.

“Then, of course, in September it changes again, because all the kids go to different schools, different classes, we have new kids coming into the school district. So (the need) could be more,” she continued.

The program is sponsored by the Meadow Ridge Rotary Club, Save On Foods, The Maple Ridge News, Unitex, The Friends In Need Food Bank and Burnett Fellowship.

This past summer the program was expanded to help children during the summer months as well.

The rotary club in partnership with the Friends In Need Food Bank followed up with children already registered for the packs to provide them with food over the break.

On Aug. 31 the Westminster Savings Credit Union will be holding a fundraiser for the Starfish Backpack program.

There will be a by donation BBQ and spin-the-wheel for prizes.

“We’ve been involved with Starfish for quite a while now at the branch,” said Odette Ravell-McKee with the branch.

“We’re a community based organization. Whenever we are doing fundraising we want to make sure we’re supporting something within our community,” explained Ravell-McKee.

The BBQ takes place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the branch parking lot at 200-20201 Lougheed Hwy. in Maple Ridge.

“We haven’t done something this big before,” said Ravell-McKee who is hoping lots of people show support for a great cause.

• To donate to the Starfish Backpack program go to contact Boekhorst at 604-467-2420 or go to starfishpack.com/meadowridge.



Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
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