Food Bank Westchester
The Food Bank for Westchester, which has been fighting hunger for more than 20 years, received a donation of $10,000 from Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart, Inc. Jennifer Logan, of Middletown, N.Y., came to the Food Bank’s Millwood location to present the check from Sam’s Club. The donation will be used immediately by the Food Bank to fight hunger in Westchester.
The check presentation was part of a planned visit to the Food Bank for Westchester by Sandra Lee, Food Network television host, magazine editor and author, who is touring food banks throughout New York State as part of her campaign to raise awareness of hunger. Ms. Lee visited the Food Bank in Millwood to meet with staff, board members and representatives from Food Bank member programs and to learn about local hunger issues. The Food Bank for Westchester, 358 Saw Mill River Road, Millwood. 923-1100. www.foodbankforwestchester.org.
Massa’ Restaurant
Massa’ is short for masseria, a country farmhouse on an estate in the Puglia region of Italy near the coast between Bari and Brindisi. It’s also an appropriate name for the new Italian restaurant and wine bar located in Scarsdale, at the former site of Heathcote Tavern. The owners, Francesco and Pasquale Coli, the father and son team of La Villetta in Larchmont, hail from the Puglia region. Their menu at Massa’ features classic Italian cuisine influenced by their homeland. 2 Weaver St., Scarsdale. 472-4600. www.massascarsdale.com.
Girl’s Night Out
Comedienne Cory Kahaney was the featured performer at the recent Girl’s Night Out, a benefit event for Westchester Heart at Westchester Medical Center. Women came together at the Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown to laugh and learn more about the leading cause of death among women – heart disease. Cocktails, a light supper, raffles and fun were in store for the attendees. Westchester Medical Center Foundation. 493-2575. www.worldclassmedicine.com.
If You See Me With Blue Hair
One of our young readers, Rachel Joseph, wrote in to tell us about a fundraising event:
If you see me with a blue hair extension, ask me why. But let me ask you a question first: how many times have you learned about cancer in school? You know the basic facts – there’s a survival rate, and treatment is usually chemotherapy and radiation, which greatly weakens the body. But how many times can you relate this erudite information to you?
My friend, Kyla Tillem, is going through cancer, specifically Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a disease that targets muscle cells. What do you do when your friend has cancer? Do you pretend like nothing has changed? Do you talk about the elephant in the room? I can honestly say that I have no idea what the right answer is, but I do know that going to fundraisers and raising awareness is one thing you can do.
I recently attended a fundraiser organized by Ben Tillem, Kyla’s brother, at John Jay High School in Katonah called “Blue For Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma” to support Kyla and her struggle with cancer. Going to fundraisers shows that you deeply care about this person and that you support them no matter what they are going through. In “Blue For Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma,” people donated $10, and in return, they got a blue hair extension. Over 100 people showed up at the fundraiser; if not to get a hair extension, then definitely to donate. As we came together to show that we care, we all had the same message in our minds: Go Kyla, Go.
– Rachel Joseph
