Piscataquis Regional Food Center inaugural winter carnival March 2
DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Piscataquis Regional Food Center (PRFC) was established in 2017 with the mission to end food insecurity in the region by providing affordable infrastructure and services to hunger relief organizations and small farms. PRFC’s collaborations with local organizations and farms allow it to help low-income homebound seniors obtain free fresh vegetables each summer, increase the number of free summer meal sites for kids, help Mayo Regional Hospital screen its patients for food insecurity, and expand healthier food options for local food cupboards through a partnership with Good Shepherd Food Bank. All of PRFC’s work is community-driven, and, as with most non-profits, cannot remain impactful without regional partnerships and effective fundraising.
On Saturday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. PRFC is hosting the first annual Winter Carnival, a family-fun event to include carnival-style games, snow art “canvases,” and human foosball. The event will be held at the Piscataquis Valley Fairgrounds, where a custom arena is being built to accommodate both a foosball tournament for teams as well as a $1 pay-to-play time for the community.
Executive Director Denise Buzzelli of the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce said, “I sincerely hope folks get involved in this event. There is such a need in this region for the kind of programming offered by PRFC, as food insecurity is more common than we can imagine. There isn’t a lot going on in Piscataquis County during the winter months in the way of larger community events, so I love the idea of holding a family-fun winter event to help raise money as opposed to knocking on doors for donations.”
To make 2019 programming truly impactful, PRFC has announced a minimum fundraising goal of $6,000 for this event. Leaders at the center believe this is quite attainable, first through the structure of the human foosball teams, which will be made up of six people at a $300 registration fee per team. The top three teams will receive prizes. Also, business owners throughout the region have been contacted to consider sponsoring the event or registering a team of employees for the tournament. PRFC has also reached out through social media, asking people to help share the event on Facebook and spread the word.
All those interested in participating in the tournament, volunteering for the event, or supporting PRFC’s programming in any other way can find out more at https://www.prfoodcenter.org/wintercarnival or on Facebook at prfoodcenter/events.