WEST PITTSTON — Gerrity’s Supermarket isn’t just a place to get groceries; it’s also a place to help charities.
One charity the supermarket will help is Little Eric’s Foundation, named after Wyoming Area student Eric Speicher who passed away in 2013 from a brain tumor.
He was 14 years old.
Maria Karcutskie, Gerrity’s Supermarket Office Manager, said the store will help the foundation through an event called “Bagging for Charity,” set for Saturday, Dec. 17 at the store.
The event entails volunteer grocery baggers who ask for donations from customers once they’ve finished bagging their items.
Karcutskie said “Bagging for Charity” has helped various sports groups and other do-gooders raise money over the years for charities.
“For the most part the charities do really well with this event and everyone usually gives,” she said. “It’s no amount, just whatever customers want to donate. We usually do well.”
Karcutskie reached out to Jess Speicher, Eric’s mom, about doing a “Bagging for Charity” event to benefit Little Eric’s Foundation.
“I did a ‘Bagging for Charity’ for a little boy about five years ago and we raised $1,800 in one day,” said Karcutskie. “I know Jess is always trying to find ways to raise money for the charity and thought it would be a great thing to do.”
Jess was immediately on board with the idea.
“I thought it was a really neat idea,” she said. “I didn’t know at first they did that until I saw kids from school doing it for one of their fundraisers, but I didn’t know they do it for foundations like ours.”
Volunteers, including family and friends of the Speichers, will bag groceries from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Karcutskie noted all volunteers have to watch a training video before they start bagging, saying it teaches them what not to bag together and in what order items should be bagged.
Jess admitted the video will come in handy.
“I know nothing about grocery bagging, except the groceries I bag for myself,” she said. “I only know that meat isn’t supposed to go with anything.”
Little Eric’s Foundation was started in 2014 and donates money to pediatric brain and childhood cancer patients through various events.
Jess hopes this “Bagging for Charity” event will continue the foundation’s mission, as well as continue to get its name recognized.
“I just want to get our name out there more,” she said. “We want to become bigger so I’m hoping that people who don’t know about us will hear about it (through this event). All money goes towards research for kids who are suffering from cancer, as well as kids in our community going through treatment. I just want to get our name out there.”
