SPREAD THE LOVE
6,000 lbs. of food collected in memory of Bianca Roberson
Bianca Roberson is gone but certainly not forgotten.
Roberson, 18, was killed by a single bullet shot during an act of road rage four years ago on the Route 100 Bypass.
To recognize her life, Daisies For Bianca: Spread The Love, was created.
In Roberson’s name, 6,000 pounds, or more than three tons of perishable goods and food, and $7,338, was collected to benefit the Chester County Food Bank.
Collection boxes were placed throughout Chester County and throughout the month volunteers stood at the West Goshen ShopRite collecting donations for the food bank from shoppers.
Bianca’s mother, Michelle Roberson, was emotional during the event held Monday at the food bank.
“I found beauty from the ashes,” Michelle Roberson said. “This is who Bianca was.
“She put other people first. I am so thankful for the community coming together and people remembering. People have not forgotten.”
State Sen. Carolyn Comitta, D-19th of West Chester, was moved by the gift-giving.
“I’m grateful – grateful to be a part of this effort, grateful to live in a community where we remember each other and we care about each other, and grateful to learn more about Bianca and her life through efforts like this,” Comitta said. “Earlier today, Michelle said Bianca was her ‘save the world child’ and if you look around, Bianca is here today.
“She’s still helping save the world and still caring about every individual. And her values and her compassion live on through us when we come together to help one another.”
Tredyffrin Township resident Claire Witzleben attended the ceremony with about 30 others.
“This is a tribute to Bianca’s spirit,” she said, “and a real show of community to show her mom.”
Volunteers made 1,000plus purple pipe cleaner flowers, and each person who made a donation received a daisy. Purple was Bianca’s favorite color and daisies are a symbol of love.
Volunteer Lauren Fosbenner, with the Chester County Chapter of Mom’s Demand Action, was moved to act after learning of Bianca’s death.
“In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that,” she said, while not a pin dropping could have been heard. ‘Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.’”
“These words are at the core of why we are gathered here today. How can we bring light to drive out the darkness of gun violence? How can we bring love to drive hate from the hearts of those like the man who shot and killed Bianca four years ago today?
“The answer to those questions drove us to find a cause that would bring our community together in a way that honors Bianca’s kind and generous spirit and spreads love in her memory.”
With no experience in fundraising or running a food drive, organizers set out to collect a thousand dollars and thousand pounds of food, which would provide approximately 1,500 meals to the community through the Chester County Food Bank. That goal was vastly exceeded.
Fosbenner directly addressed Roberson: “I know there is nothing I, or anyone else, can do to ease the pain of losing Bianca. But, I hope this year, you are able to feel the love and light from so many in our community who donated and contributed to our little food drive to honor Bianca’s memory, and you can see the impact your beautiful baby girl’s kind and generous spirit continues to have.”
In addition to the actual food donations, there is also an online website where people can make donations of monetary value: www.daisiesforBianca.org.