The Town of Hempstead is sponsoring a "Make a Splash" Pool Food Drive for Island Harvest at its 21 community swimming pools. Now through August 7, each of the pools are collecting non-perishable food items to feed and nourish Long Island's hungry.
Anyone coming to enjoy the refreshing waters of a Hempstead Town pool is asked to bring along canned vegetables, meats, fish or fruits, soups, sauces, pasta, cereals, dry milk, almond or soy milk, coffee, tea, personal care items, nutritional beverages or personal hygiene items. There will be collection receptacles clearly and conveniently placed at each pool to accumulate the food items. The participating pools include Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore.
To introduce a competitive aspect to the collection drive, Island Harvest will present awards to the three pools that collect the most food.
"Here in Hempstead Town, it's everybody in the pool to assist our good friends at Island Harvest," Supervisor Kate Murray said. "Over 280,000 Long Islanders go hungry every day including 110,000 children. The Island Harvest food bank works diligently to help feed our hungry neighbors through food distribution to 570 nonprofit agencies in Nassau and Suffolk Counties."
The roster of Hempstead Town pools participating in the food drive, in addition to Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore, are: Averill Blvd. Park, Elmont; Echo Park, West Hempstead; Forest City Park, Wantagh; Hewlett Point Park, Bay Park; Newbridge Road Park, Bellmore; Oceanside Park, Oceanside; Rath Park, Franklin Square; Roosevelt Pool, Roosevelt; Veterans Park, East Meadow; Walker Park, Lakeview; Sands Pool, Lido Beach; Lido Beach Town Park, Lido Beach and Malibu Park, Point Lookout.
In addition, all nine pools in the Levittown Pool District are participating: Acorn Lane, Azalea Road, Blue Grass Lane, Carman Avenue, East Village Green, Levittown Parkway, Slate Lane, West Village Green and Wolcott Road.
"In communities across our township residents will be responding as they always do, with kind heart and helping hand," added Supervisor Murray. "I imagine our collection efforts will go 'swimmingly' and our pools will provide invaluable assistance to the Island Harvest campaign."
