Boca Helping Hands Bowling Event Supports Weekend Meal Program for Food-Insecure Students

Boca Helping Hands held its annual Bowling for Bread event on August 24 at Lucky Strike in Boca Raton, with proceeds supporting the organization's Backpacks weekend meal program for children in area schools. The event brought children from local charities including 4KIDS of South Florida, Inc., Achievement Centers for Children & Families, and Boys & Girls Club of Boca Raton to enjoy bowling, food, and fun at no cost.

The Backpacks program, operating for 14 years, addresses childhood food insecurity by providing non-perishable, easy-to-prepare meals every Friday to ensure students have adequate nutrition on weekends. During the 2024-25 school year, the program served 1,381 students across 15 schools in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Boynton Beach, distributing 36,853 weekend meal boxes and 73,506 snacks to elementary students.

Bowling for Bread was part of Boca Chamber Festival Days, a series of August events pairing nonprofits with for-profit chamber members to raise awareness and funds. Ovation Home Insurance Exchange served as the For-Profit Chamber Partner, while the Lee Pearlson Steinberg Foundation was the Event Sponsor, marking their 14th year of support. Additional major sponsors included the Gary Peters Family Foundation and Humana Healthy Horizons in Florida.

Foundation Trustee Lee Steinberg emphasized the event's significance, stating that supporting Bowling for Bread honors his mother Pearl's legacy of supporting children's causes. The continued corporate and foundation support demonstrates the business community's commitment to addressing food insecurity among local students, ensuring vulnerable children receive consistent weekend nutrition that supports their health and educational outcomes.

For more information about Boca Helping Hands and their programs, visit https://BocaHelpingHands.org.