Flag football fundraiser for Lunch Break

This recent Black Friday marked the 15th Anniversary for the annual Little Silver versus Shrewsbury residents’ flag-football competition, which is a fundraiser for Lunch Break, Red Bank.  The tradition was first played in 2002 and has grown every year since in to a very festive, well-attended community event.  There are games for children, men, and women.

These hard-fought, flag-flag football games are exciting for all and of course bragging rights are important if you ask either town, but the true winner is Lunch Break.  This year over $10,000.00 was raised for the organization, which helps to put food on the table for thousands of families in need.
Lunch Break has served the community since 1983 by freely providing life’s basic necessities – food, clothing, and fellowship – to community members in need.  Its mission is to alleviate hunger and lead those they serve to self-sufficiency and healthier lifestyles.  Lunch Break serves everyone, with compassion and dignity.

The football game, played on the Count Basie Fields, Red Bank, has its playful trash-talking, but is truly a culmination of the friendships that are a part of this two-town family. The players volunteered at Lunch Break the week before Thanksgiving feeding breakfast to the Lunch Break clients.

Rick Brandt, Little Silver residents and the event coordinator said, “All of the good that exists in Little Silver and Shrewsbury is represented by this annual football game and it is our hope that through our efforts together, we can tackle hunger in our community.”  Brandt, along with his Little Silver teammates and Shrewsbury opponents collectively raised over $10,000.00 and a truckful of food and clothing for Lunch Break for the second straight year.  All of which, was presented to Lunch Break during halftime of the games. Brandt joined Lunch Break’s Board of Trustees this year and is its youngest member.

The Mayors from both towns and Principals from each school always represent their Boroughs during the pre-game coin toss while the Fire, Police and First Aid trucks from the two towns line the sidelines with the hundreds of spectators who fill the park each and every year.

This event would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of GluckWalrath, Sickles Market, the Thygeson Family, ACME, Reardon Anderson, Quadrangle, Dom’s Cherry Street Deli, Primerica, Bagel Masters, Stephen Chagares, MD, PC, Troy & Zach Mulholland, The Klein Family, ABH Architecture.