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Marshall County Family Resource Network staff recognized a local business recently for its efforts to assist local teens for the holidays.
The Moundsville Buffalo Wild Wings location partnered with the FRN by hosting a gift card drive earlier this month. To fill gift bags for the organization’s Christmas distribution for teens, servers asked patrons of the restaurant to buy a $5 gift card to be included in the gift bags.
According to FRN Executive Director Stacie Dei, staff members hoped to collect 150 gift gards, but community donations totaled 324 gift cards during a two-week period, meaning each teen will get two gift cards in his or her bag.
Dei began the distribution last year to bring attention to teens in need around the holiday season, noting most charities focus their efforts on families with small children. This year, Dei has expanded the project, providing gift bags including personal care items, clothing and more to 150 students ages 13-18 throughout the county, up from 115 last year.
She added the card drive helped her organization greatly, as they had to pay for each one for the introduction of their program last year.
“This is a testament of the great community we live in,” Dei said. “This is the place that all teenagers want to hang out. It is always somewhere young people look forward to coming to and we hope they can have a good time with their friends like all their peers.”
Buffalo Wild Wings general manager Ben Omaits said diners were extremely receptive to the project.
“We want to do all we can for community outreach,” he said. “The community is very supportive of us and this is a good way to give back.”
Waitress Christy Bednar said the drive was successful due to a caring community.
“People were very supportive when they found out this was for teenagers in our own county,” she said. “I even got some people to drop off products for the drive.”