Recently, a number of community organizations and businesses came together to hold a dinner for the family members of Rutland-area Vermont National Guard members who have been deployed to the Middle East. Working with Bethany Bergeron, Ed Gee, and Sue Gee of the Guard Family Support Services, the groups held a spaghetti and meatballs dinner for about 75 family members at the Rutland Italian American Club. The Italian American Club, in addition to hosting the event, provided the services of Tom Joyce, a magician, who delighted the attendees after dinner.
The event was supported by a variety of community businesses- the Rutland Grand Union, which provided sausages and lettuce, the Rutland Hannaford Store, whose donation provided paper goods, and cutlery, the Rutland Priced Chopper, which provided a gift card, that provided salad dressing, olive oil, and many other items, the Ponderosa Restaurant, which provided a large tossed salad and chicken nuggets, and Fitz-Vogt, Inc and Meals on Wheels, which provided desserts to the group. Stafford Technical Center’s Culinary Arts Program provided a gross of dinner rolls and whipped butter. The Stafford Technical Center SADD Program, and an anonymous donor, provided all the pasta, canned tomatoes and meatballs for the event. The Green Mountain Missionary Baptist Church members gave each kid at the dinner a goodie bag of candy.
Many other local businesses provided other gifts for the attendees- McDonald’s gave out 50 extra value meal coupons, Taco Ball gave away 100 coupons for free tacos, Burger King gave away certificates for dinners for the family, KFC gave away family chicken dinners, Subway gave away gift certificates, and Wendy’s provided free food to other lucky door prize winners. Steve Lulek from the Green Mountain Rock Climbing Center offered free use of his facility to family members as long as their soldier was deployed. The Rutland Bowlerama also graciously donated a number of coupons for free bowling. Everyone at the dinner got at least three door prizes.
The volunteers also came from a variety of organizations, although the Rutland Italian American Club provided the largest group. Their members included Chef Luigi Illiano and his helper John D’Esposito, Matt Polli and Mary Beth Dewey, IAC President David Chioffi, Eilene D’Esposito, George Kimmel, Ingrid Gallo, Peg Dombro, Jackie Kulig, Annie Schoenknecht, Marge and Bill Bloomer, Anthony Vitigliano, and Shelley DuPrey. The Stafford Technical Center SADD Chapter sent members Ashley Barnes, Jackie Fitz-Gerald and Kyle Lenher, who acted as servers. Two employees from Meals on Wheels, Penny Jones and Shauna Woods, volunteered their services. Mrs. Jones also brought with her three volunteers from her church, the Green Mountain Missionary Baptist Church- her husband Tim Jones, Christa Pike, and her pastor, Bryan Teer.
The dinner was a resounding success and both the Guard Family Support Staff and a number of Guard family members expressed an interest in doing an event like this in the future. Given the sacrifices that the Guard members and their families are making, it is not surprising that so many businesses and organizations wanted to be involved in supporting the Rutland Italian American Club’s event.