[February 27, 2018 – Mentor, OH] – The Lake County Council on Aging (LCCoA) announces their 13th Annual March for Meals event will take place on Saturday, March 10th, 2018 at the Great Lakes Mall in Mentor. The Food Court doors open at 8:00am for registration and the event runs from 8:30am until 10:00 a.m. All funds raised stay local and are used to support five nutrition sites in Lake County serving Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors as well as the meals provided at senior café lunch sites. In 2017, volunteer drivers delivered over 164,000 Meals on Wheels, an increase of almost 18% over 2016!
March for Meals is a national campaign, initiated and sponsored by Meals on Wheels America to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of the local community. “Sometimes, a visit from a Meals on Wheels volunteer is the only social interaction our homebound seniors get on a daily basis,” said Joe Tomsick, CEO. “Of course the meal served is nutritionally important, but the daily visit provides a means for Council on Aging to check on those seniors who are frail and may be at risk.”
Individuals can participate in the event as a walker and can raise pledges in support of the Lake County Council on Aging’s nutrition programs. To register as a walker, please visit the LCCoA website at www.lccoa.org or call (440) 205-8111 ext. 240. The walker fee is $15 for adults; $5 for children 12 and under. Walker and T-Shirt fee is $25 for adults; $15 for children 12 and under. Walkers who raise $100 or more in pledges will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Visa gift card! Light morning snacks and coffee will be provided; all walkers are automatically entered into our raffle to win great prizes. The LCCoA staff will also have numerous basket raffles going on all morning long.
The Honorary ‘Chair’ for the 2018 March for Meals is “Bane”, a 3 ½ year old German Shepherd therapy dog owned by Katie Rust. Bane’s therapeutic visits to assisted living facilities bring joy to the seniors and help to reduce feelings of isolation. The Lake Catholic High School Drum Line and Mentor High School Football Team and Cheerleaders will lead off the march, after the singing of the National Anthem by Northeast Ohio’s Dante Citraro.