Kate Bartlett
On Saturday, January 8th, Villaggio held a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser for the Ellicottville Little Eagles youth football and cheerleading program. The event was a huge success, surpassing their goal of $1,000, raising a total of $1,650. This money will go directly to these youth programs, and cover the new sleds the coaches seek for football.
Stacy Van Buen, President of Ellicottville Little Eagles, reached out to Andrea Austin, General Manager at Villaggio, about hosting a fundraiser for the Little Eagles, and suggested a spaghetti dinner. “Nick (Pitillo, owner and founder of Villaggio) and I were more than excited to help out with this,” says Andrea. “Community is what it is all about. It’s what makes our job fun.”
Andera and Nick reached out to their local vendors for donations of food and services and received a generous response. Sysco donated food and Ferguson printing, located in Salamanca, donated their services to print all event tickets. Travis Happoldt graciously accepted the invitation to play Live Grungy Country Music at the event.
The evening was a huge success, not only raising substantial funds for the Little Eagles, but in gathering the community in celebration. “It was a fun, light-hearted evening,” says Andrea. “We love supporting our community, and it was fun gathering the families together. It was definitely a highlight of our month.”
Their idea for the fundraiser was to keep it simple and family-friendly. “The simplicity and popularity of pasta dishes can attract more participants, making it easier to reach financial goals for a cause. Pasta is a universally loved dish, appealing to families and individuals of all ages.” Villaggio also offered a take-out option, making it convenient for families who couldn’t stay.
This was the first year of the spaghetti dinner, and everyone involved is pleased with the success. “We’re so happy with the turnout, the ease of the event, and most importantly, the kids and families had a fun evening together,” says Stacy. “This is such a short time in our lives; kids grow up so fast. We want to make an impact in the community and these programs help our kids.”
For more information on Ellicottville Little Eagles, follow on Instagram and Facebook.