Davin Alves won’t be looking to repeat his 2022 holiday food-donation fundraiser, he has decided to take it to another level with Davin’s 2nd Annual Holiday Food Drive.
A year after launching a raffle with a goal of 50 donations to buy food he would donate to the United Way of New Bedford and then seeing a much greater response than he planned on, the Sippican Elementary School fifth grader is thinking bigger in 2023.
On Black Friday, November 24, Davin sent 100 letters out to area businesses to let them know what he has in mind.
“I mean, after I did it that year, I kind of wanted to do it a lot next year because I just thought it’d be a good idea,” said Davin, whose sudden rush of response last year was not what propelled his interest in making this an annual effort. “I kind of wanted to do this all the time for the holidays.”
His mother Kathylee says the Alves family, originally from New Bedford, has been in Marion for five years now so this year, Damien’s Food Pantry in Wareham and the Marion Food Pantry will join the United Way of New Bedford as recipients of food purchased with the proceeds from Davin’s effort.
Last year, Davin raised nearly $1,000 in donations. This year he anticipates more, and that means
Davin’s sister Ella, soon to turn 10, was among the local Girls Scouts who participated in food donations at the General Store.
Meantime, Davin has been laying the groundwork for his second season of collecting donations.
“I probably have to start making copies of things. I have to sort all five of these papers out,” said Davin, explaining the explanatory package that area businesses are receiving. “The first one was, like, me writing stuff. The second was about the front picture, the third and fourth one was about the story, and the fifth one was just about my mom’s idea thing…”
The project has also piqued the interest of Davin’s classmates.
“Definitely. They’re kind of like asking me, ‘How can I donate?’ I just tell them I’m going to start making fliers, and I’m putting them around the school so you know,” he explained.
David says Sippican Elementary School faculty has been supportive, especially Ella’s third-grade teacher Mary Jayne Couet and Principal Marla Brown.
Davin is changing up some of the raffle prizes this year to spark more interest.
“I did a raffle because I thought it would be good because a lot more people would donate to that,” he said.
To donate an item or a gift card to be raffled off, please contact Kathylee Alves by December 1 at 508-951-8272 or via email to Brinx1@verizon.net, via mail to 625 Delano Road, Marion, MA 02738, or via Facebook @Kathylee Alves.
To see all raffle items, visit Kathylee Alves’ Facebook page on or after December 3. To purchase raffle tickets or make a cash donation, go to Venmo @Kathylee-8-12; 100% of all money raised will go to purchase food for those in need at United Way of Greater New Bedford, Marion Food Pantry and Damien’s Place Food Pantry.
The live raffle drawing will be held on Kathylee Alves’ Facebook page on December 17 at 6:00 pm.
By Mick Colageo