Two Roosevelt Elementary School students, Jacob Mansbach, 9 years, and Dario de Albergaria, 11 years, are nearing a $10,000 fundraising goal they set for themselves to help support Foodbank of Santa Barbara County programs and services, but time is running out. The deadline to raise the funds and help Jacob and Dario meet their $10,000 goal is September 28th—the day before this year’s Carpinteria Triathlon, which takes place on September 29th.
As two of the youngest participants in the upcoming Carpinteria Triathlon, the duo hopes to meet their goals of finishing the race and raising $10,000 for kids in need of nutritious food. “It’s important for kids to have the food they need, but it’s even more important to educate them because that will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” said de Albergaria. “We care about Foodbank because we believe in what Foodbank does. It’s fun helping other kids and families plus I love sports.”
“Dario and I have partnered with Foodbank, partnered to have fun racing in a triathlon and to have fun raising awareness for kids’ hunger,” said Mansbach. “Foodbank helps one in eight kids – one in eight of us in Santa Barbara – to eat better. Helping Foodbank to help others is important to us.”
Through hard work, dedication, and with support from the community, Jacob and Dario have successfully raised over $8,500 of their $10,000 goal. By working together, Jacob and Dario are not only encouraging each other, they are inspiring kids across the county to combine something they love to do with helping the people in their community.
“Jacob and Dario’s commitment to helping other kids and families to have good nutrition in Santa Barbara County is encouraging and inspiring,” said Erik Talkin, CEO, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. “On top of their fundraising efforts they have been an amazing vehicle sharing their goal and why it’s important with the community, especially connecting with other kids. Awareness amongst our youth is the cornerstone for a healthy and educated tomorrow and for this we applaud two of our youngest advocates, Jacob and Dario.”
To follow Jacob and Dario’s progress and contribute to their goal, please visit www.foodbanksbc.org/DarioAndJake4theFoodbank.html.
About the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
The Foodbank is celebrating over 30 years of eliminating hunger and food insecurity by distributing nutritious food, education, and other resources through its own programs and to a network of over 300 member non-profit partners and programs in Santa Barbara County. Last year, the Foodbank distributed 11 million pounds of food – translating into more than 8.5 million meals – of which fully half was fresh produce. This served over 102,000 unduplicated people from Carpinteria to Santa Maria, an amazing 1 in 4 people. For the fifth consecutive time, the Foodbank has recently been given a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities. Only 4% of the charities rated have received at least 5 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Foodbank of Santa Barbara County outperforms most other charities in America. More information at www.foodbanksbc.org.