ROOM SHOT OF The Harvest Fall Fundraiser. (Raj Das, edphotos.com)
MELROSE — Melrose-based hunger relief nonprofit The Food Drive hosted their annual Harvest Fall Fundraiser on Saturday, November 9 at Memorial Hall in Melrose. Now in its third year, the event drew 300 guests and raised just under $80,000.
Robin Peevey, owner of Buckalew’s General Store was presented with the inaugural Harvest Hero Award which honors a person or organization for extraordinary commitment to The Food Drive’s mission. Robin has been an advocate and participant in The Food Drive’s programs since their formation in 2020 hosting an ongoing donation bin and seasonal food drives at Buckalew’s, stocking the Melrose Community Freezer with lovingly prepared meals and donating surplus food every week to Pantry of Hope just one block away from Buckalew’s at First Baptist Church.
THE FOOD DRIVE’S Executive Director Jana Gimenez and Harvest Hero Award Recipient Robin Peevey. (Raj Das, edphotos.com)
The 2024 Harvest Hero award itself was created by Miles Chouhan, a 15-year-old student at Melrose High School, ceramic artist and part of the Follow Your Art Community Studios “Create Your Opportunity” program. Each year the award will be individually created to reflect the spirit of the award recipient and will be commissioned through Follow Your Art.
Harvest 2024 was a shining example of the community support that sustains The Food Drive’s work. Eleven local food establishments provided tasting stations and desserts: Big Fin Poké, Bobby C’s Ristorante, Buckalew’s, Fabian’s European Pastries, Guru the Caterer (Melrose Farmer’s Market vendor), The Kitchen, Mama Jean, Ocean Sushi, Sweet Spot Bakery and T’ahpas 529. Thirty-seven local business donated prizes for the silent auction and raffle. Sixty-seven local businesses and families sponsored the event including headline sponsors the Melrose Cooperative Bank Foundation and the Everett Co-operative Bank Foundation and Cinnamon Sponsor the Audax Charitable Foundation.
To volunteer, donate or learn more about The Food Drive, visit thefooddrive.org.
AT FOLLOW YOUR Art Community Studios, Mile Chouhan and the Harvest Hero Award.
