Community Corner

Local Sports League Donates Canned Goods

A canned food drive lead to a recent donation to the Marlborough Food Pantry.

Editor's note: The following information was submitted by Matt Elder.

Dozens of canned goods were recently donated to the Marlborough Food Pantry after a local youth sports league ran a canned food drive where parents generously donated the items.

Matt Elder, Ward 3 City Councilor and Program Director of i9 Sports, dropped off dozens of canned goods that the families of i9 Sports donated.

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“We said we’d give anyone who donates a $10 gift certificate to be used for any future program, but the funny thing is that a majority of the families just dropped off the food without any mention of the savings,” Elder said. “It was really great to see.”

Starting last fall, the leagues held a complimentary pizza party for the kids at the fields or courts the last game of the season. Elder said he thought of the idea about turning the pizza party into a food drive and ran with it.

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“We didn’t really promote it much, we just sent out a few reminder emails to parents. We were hoping for maybe 10-15 cans of food,” Elder said. “However, we probably got over thirty. It was great to see.”

Many of the families who play at i9 Sports are returning from last season, Elder said. As parents keep playing, he hopes the last game will always be known as a pizza party and food drive.

Elder said starting this spring the programs in Framingham will donate to the Framingham food pantry, and the programs in Marlborough will continue to donate to the Marlborough food pantry.

“Many of the local businesses in Marlborough, Framingham and all the surrounding towns do so much for communities in which they work. I hope i9 Sports can do the same with this food drive," said Elder.

The i9 Sports company runs year-round youth sports programs in the Marlborough and Framingham area for children aged 3-14. This spring it is offering flag football, t-ball and soccer. For more information, please visit www.i9sports.com or call 508-305-2103.    


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