Reader Note from Tom Miner: The Digits! Fifth Annual Benefit Concert For Manna Foods

This Reader Note is from Tom Miner. I asked him to give us an update on The Digits! fundraiser and here it is!

This past Saturday, on 9-11, The Digits! performed their Fifth annual benefit concert and this year the performance supported Manna Food Bank’s Smart Sacks program. The beautiful weather brought a good crowd of about 250 neighbors and fans show to the outdoor concert at the Woodley Gardens Pool in Rockville.

Photo from The Digits!

In addition to asking for a $5 donation, additional funds were raised through a Silent Auction which was organized and conducted by Dawn Titmas and Naomi Miner. Over 50 items were donated and auctioned, including signed books by local authors, original art works, creative gift baskets, and gift certificates to local restaurants. Hard Times Café and Carmen’s Italian Ice were also on site providing complementary hotdogs, wings and Italian ice – all for small, additional donations.

Photo from The Digits!

Many thanks to Girl Scout Troop 2228. They staffed the Carmen’s Ice Cream Cart and also collected and delivered over 212 lbs. of donated food items! That’s the Scouting spirit.

Photo from Cindy Cotte Griffiths

The total donations raised on Saturday were an outstanding $5,025 for Manna! This money will be used to help provide over 1,400 bags of kid friendly – yet nutritious food every Friday for school children who receive subsidized school breakfasts and lunches. It’s generally known that these children may be experiencing hunger on the weekends. Teachers have remarked that children come to school on Mondays full of energy that they lacked before participating in Smart Sacks program.

Photo from The Digits!

Naomi Miner (L) and Dawn Titmas (R) presented the $5,025 to Manna Food Bank

As founder of The Digits! and an early instigator of the Annual Benefit Concert series, I am humbled and thankful to know so many friends, neighbors, and fans who generously donate to our benefit events. It’s the people of Rockville that makes Rockville such a great place to live.

Tom Miner

This is a Reader’s Note. We welcome submissions on all sorts of things — shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville, and you should try to be nice. Get in touch with us using our contact form if you would like to submit something!

Reader’s Note From Tom Miner: Hunger In Montgomery County

Photo from Manna

How You Can Help Reduce Hunger in Montgomery County – and Have a Blast at the Same Time!

Hunger is a hidden but all too prevalent problem in our county. In Montgomery County, a family of four requires an income of $70,000 just to be minimally self-sufficient. The high costs of housing, health care, food, transportation, and utilities are squeezing more and more families. When funds are low, the rent, doctor, and utility companies get paid first and what’s left is what people spend on food; often there just isn’t enough money to buy the food their family needs.

Children of low income families are especially vulnerable. These school kids often receive subsidized school breakfasts and lunches to sustain them through the day. But what happens on the weekends?

Manna Food Center is the main food bank on Montgomery County. In 2005, Manna started the Smart Sacks program that provides these target school kids with a Smart Sack of healthy, yet kid-friendly food every Friday so they will have something to eat over the weekend.

Manna provides 1,400 Smart Sacks every Friday to schools, including the schools right here in Rockville.

Photo from The Digits!

Here’s how you can easily help: Come to the Benefit Concert, Saturday, September 11^th, at the Woodley Gardens Swim Club.  The Digits!, a local rock cover band I helped to form in 2001, will provide the entertainment.  Attendance is free, but we are asking for $5 donation.  Additionally we will have a Silent Auction to raise additional funds for this cause.  This will be the 5th year we have organized this community event and each time we have raised $2000 to $6000. 

Saturday, September 11, 2010

7:30 PM to 11:30 PM

Woodley Gardens Pool, 850 Nelson St., Rockville, MD

How will The Digits! raise money and donations for this good cause?

1. Ask for a $5 donation from each fan attending the event.
2. Many fans are donating items for the Silent Auction.  Please consider contributing to the Silent Auction.  Contact Dawn Sumner Titmus for Silent Auction ideas and details.
3. Fans bid on and “buy” Silent Auction items.  Items are available for viewing and bidding from 7:30 to 10:30.
4. Online donations can be made.  Click here.  Please designate you online donation to the Smart Sacks Program and The Digits!

The Digits! past 4 Benefit Concerts raised up to $6000 for each event!  All of the money we raise (100%) is given directly to the cause we are working for.  Manna Food Center is an efficiently run organization.  According to GuideStar, ninety-four cents of every donated dollar Manna receives goes directly to feeding the hungry.

Bring friends and family, your cooler and extra chairs!  This is a wonderful, relaxing atmosphere around the pool.  Enjoy some good music, sing along, dance with neighbors, and watch friends sing with The Digits!  – knowing you are helping a worthy cause.

The Digits! are donating the entertainment.  Woodley Gardens is proving the beautiful pool setting.  All we need is YOU and your generosity!

For more information, see www.TheDigitsBand.com or http://www.facebook.com/TheDigits

Check here for more information from Manna.

This is a Reader’s Note. We welcome submissions on all sorts of things — shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville, and you should try to be nice. Get in touch with us using our contact form if you would like to submit something!