CORTEZ – The Swordfish Grill, Sande Caplin & Associates, The Sarasota Post, A Paradise Realty and the local community raised more than $20,000 for Hungers End during the Thursday, Sept. 13, Giving Back fundraiser.
Founded and run by Vicki and Carl Snyder, Hungers End is a Bradenton-based food pantry and blessings closet that’s provided free groceries, clothes and hygiene products to those in need in Manatee County for the past four years.
Last week’s fundraising efforts included the annual event ticket sales, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction and a live auction featuring Swordfish Grill General Manager Bob Slicker as auctioneer. The Billy Rice Band, TC & The Troublemakers and Tanya McCormick and Rick Fass provided the live music, sponsored again this year by A Paradise Realty.
“What the Swordfish Grill, Sande Caplin & Associates, and A Paradise Realty do is just amazing, and we were so honored to be the selected beneficiary this year,” Carl Snyder said during the fundraiser’s final hour.
“This is such a blessing, and we want to thank everyone so very much. This will go a long way towards helping us purchase our building at the end of this month. We feed 500 to 600 folks each month, including the elderly in the Grand Palms retirement home,” Snyder added.
“We serve a meal every Monday night to the homeless, and our food pantry at 1802 14th Street West in Bradenton is open the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 10 a.m. until noon. We’ll give out free meats, groceries, dairy and whatever else we get donated,” he said. “This is a community-supported, 100 percent volunteer organization. It’s just a lot of loving people who want to give back to the community. We saw how big the need was, and we were led by compassion to help people in need.”
“What we started with four years ago has turned out to be something we can thank God for – and all the volunteers that make this happen,” Snyder said.
“It was amazing and overwhelming. I was just blown away. I’m so humbled by the giving hearts of Sande, the Swordfish Grill, A Paradise, all their employees and all the people who came tonight. It will help us tremendously,” Vicki Snyder said.
When asked what else the community can do to help, Vicki said, “We’re always looking for volunteers and looking for people to do canned food drives to help stock our pantry. We also need clothing and hygiene products.”
Those who wish to volunteer their time or donate to the Hungers End efforts can learn more from the organization’s website, at the Hungers End Facebook page or by calling 855-777-0259.
After completing his auctioneer’s duties, Slicker said, “We do our Giving Back event every year to benefit a local charity that takes care of people in our community. For four years in a row, we’ve been sold out for this event. It raises a lot of money, and it’s nice to give back. I’d like to thank the sponsors and everyone who came out, and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”
Caplin then said, “This is my seventh year and the fourth year with Swordfish Grill, and this is the best one yet. There were a lot of people who’d never been to the Swordfish Grill and some who’ve never been to our Giving Back event.
“It’s a great fund-raiser, and it’s great to give back. Laura Bell Adams, who works at my company, and Katrina Cox from the Swordfish Grill, pretty much run the whole thing now and A Paradise gave us the money for the bands.
“Every charity in town is important, and it’s a tough decision for us now. We met the Snyders earlier this year and Betsy (Plante) from the Blessing Bags Project recommended them. I’ve been over there on Monday nights when they’re feeding the homeless and it’s phenomenal,” Caplin said.
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