Paper bottles are popping up for the Milk Fund

Many local businesses now taking donations

WOONSOCKET – The Milk Fund Drive is under way and that means paper milk bottles will be increasingly visible at local businesses.

William Schneck, a former member of the City Council, and his co-chairman, Gary Lapierre, have been making their rounds to distribute the paper bottles used to highlight donations to the Milk Fund and have many of their longtime supporting busi- nesses back to help this year’s drive.

“Some businesses take a couple hundred of the bottles and some like Li’l General Stores, a big supporter, a couple of thousand,” Scheck said this week.

The paper bottles are used to post the name or message of someone making a contribution to the Milk Fund during the annual drive supporting local families and seniors in need.

The paper bottles are put up on walls at some businesses, or behind the counter at others, according to Schneck.

Someone giving $5, $10 or a higher amount will be given a paper bottle and their contribution will also be listed in the Milk Fund’s regular postings in The Call as the drive continues.

When the drive concludes, Schneck and Lapierre will tabulate each business’ overall tally and then hand out their annual awards to the top five with the highest amount of donations.

“The concept has been around for years now,” Schneck said of the paper milk bottle campaign.

Although you can never really predict the outcome of donations during any particular year, Schneck said the paper bottle campaign has brought tallies of $4,000 in donations and even $4,500 in past years. Some businesses make a very determined effort to bring in a substantial contribution and gain the support of their customers in seeing the tally grow, he noted.

Back on the paper bottle list this year are L’il General and Chan’s Restaurant, both past award winners, Luc’s Bar & Grill on River St., Barbara’s Place Restaurant on North Main Street, another award winner, the local American Legion Posts, local clubs such as Cercle Laurier, The Elks and Club Lafayette and many more.

Schneck is still looking for locations to issue bottles to and anyone interested in joining the drive can call him at 744-5989 to get a milk bottle delivery.

“If you would like paper bottles in your business, please call me and I will bring you a stack,” Schneck said.

File photo During last year’s Milk Fund appeal, Nicholas Crowell, an employee of the L’il General Store at 601 Winter St., puts up paper Milk Bottles representing $1 donations made by store customers.