Boca Helping Hands Bowling Event Supports Weekend Meal Program for 1,381 Local Students

Boca Helping Hands successfully conducted its annual Bowling for Bread fundraiser on August 24 at Lucky Strike in Boca Raton, with all proceeds directed toward the organization's Backpacks weekend meal program for children in local schools. The event welcomed children from several area charities including 4KIDS of South Florida, Inc., Achievement Centers for Children & Families, and Boys & Girls Club of Boca Raton, providing them with complimentary bowling, food, and entertainment.

The Backpacks program, which has operated for 14 years, addresses childhood food insecurity by supplying students with non-perishable, easy-to-prepare meals every Friday. This initiative ensures that children have adequate nutrition throughout weekends when school meals are unavailable. 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 featured as part of Boca Chamber Festival Days, a series of August events that connect nonprofits with for-profit members of the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce to raise both awareness and essential funding. Ovation Home Insurance Exchange participated as the For-Profit Chamber Partner, while the Lee Pearlson Steinberg Foundation served as Event Sponsor, marking their 14th consecutive year of support. Additional major sponsors included the Gary Peters Family Foundation and Humana Healthy Horizons in Florida.

Foundation Trustee Lee Steinberg highlighted the event's importance, noting that supporting Bowling for Bread honors his mother Pearl's legacy and dedication to children's causes. The sustained community backing underscores the critical and ongoing need for nutritional assistance programs that combat childhood food insecurity throughout Palm Beach County communities.