SuperMarket Sweep winner donates food to others
Raffle proceeds benefit fountain project honoring Charles and Mary Lou Haddad
The excitement was high as the winner of the Building A Better Boyertown’s SuperMarket Sweep raffle ran through the aisles of Freed’s Market in Boyertown.
While the community watched via Facebook LIVE at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 23, winner Jamie Cascino raced to fill two carts full of food within two minutes.
“I can’t believe I won this. It’s pretty cool that I won this because this is not going to be just groceries for the Cascino family,” she said.
Cascino shopped for local seniors in town, for the local food bank, the Salvation Army of Boyertown and the Boyertown Area Historical Society.
“I’ve been doing a lot of soup making for a lot of friends that have to quarantine due to COVID so the cooking shall continue,” she said.
She also grabbed bones for her dogs and her sister’s dogs.
“I tried to stretch it as far as I could,” said Cascino.
A small group — from a social distance and wearing masks — cheered her on as she raced down the aisles throwing food into a cart. By the final second she ran to the finish line with two full carts, and out of breath.
“We were very excited to hear that the winner planned on using the food to help others. Jamie is a very kind soul and her commitment to the community is just one example of the many ways she serves our town,” said Building a Better Boyertown Main Street Manager Jillian Magee.
Proceeds from raffle ticket sales will benefit the Boyertown Community Fountain project that will honor two community members, Charles Haddad and his late wife, Mary Lou.
“Over the last several decades, there have been both small and substantial improvements in our Borough of Boyertown. In every corner of the Borough you can see some project that has been completed through the dedication and volunteer efforts of those that live here and the surrounding area,” said Magee. “But in almost every improvement, one couple has been the driving force.”
Mary Lou and Charles Haddad have spearheaded, pushed, gathered volunteers and donated time and money to beautify and enhance the Borough they call home, she said.
“If there was a project to be done, the mantra was ‘ask the Haddads.’ If they got behind your project, it would be successful.”
From “Welcome to Boyertown” signs to $1,000,000 Street-scape improvements, from Community Walkway improvements to special needs playgrounds, from planters on Philadelphia Avenue to the restoration of the State Theater, one can’t travel through Boyertown without seeing their impact, she said.
“Mary Lou and Charles have been generous to an extreme, sharing their energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, time and money to advance the image of our beloved Boyertown,” said Magee. “They have been a fountain of inspiration for the rest of us and quite often the goad to push us to act.”
“Help us raise the funds to construct a fountain and surrounding plaza to honor Mary Lou and Charles for their undying efforts to improve Boyertown. There is nothing more suitable to honor them than a beautiful civic space that Boyertown residents and visitors can enjoy,” she continued. “We all enjoy the fruits of their unrelenting tenacity and now it’s time we give them the recognition they so justly deserve.”
The fountain is just one aspect of what will be a micro park in Boyertown.
“We plan to further beautify the space with flowers, trees, seating spaces — a true gathering space for the community,” said Magee.
This was the first time the SuperMarket Sweep raffle was held. Building A Better Boyertown plans to make it an annual event.
Three other raffle drawings benefiting the fountain project will be held this year, which can be found at the following link — https://www.boyertownfountain.com/tickets.