Los Angeles-based Smart & Final has launched its yearly campaign to raise funds for the 12th annual KFI PastaThon.
The fundraising event, organized by KFI AM 640, supports Caterina’s Club, which provides more than 25,000 meals per week for families in need at 100 locations in 30 cities across Southern California. Caterina’s Club, led by Chef Bruno Serato, has served more than 8 million meals since 2005 in addition to providing affordable housing assistance and youth job training.
To join Smart & Final in contributing to PastaThon, shoppers at all stores can donate any amount of their choosing during checkout through Dec. 4. Donations provide Caterina’s Club with the necessary pasta, sauce and other ingredients to carry out its signature program. Each $1 donation equals one meal for a child in need.
On Nov. 29, volunteers from Smart & Final and Barilla Pasta will help collect drive-thru donations at Chef Bruno Serato’s White House restaurant from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 887 S. Anaheim Blvd. in Anaheim, California. KFI’s Tim Conway Jr. will be broadcasting live from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Drive-thru donations will also be accepted at that location.
“The entire Smart & Final family is proud of our longtime partnership with Caterina’s Club and the PastaThon fundraiser. Chef Bruno and Caterina’s Club play an essential role in assisting families and seniors facing food insecurity in California, and we are honored to help advance this critical work,” said Tinamarie Squieri, manager, Smart & Final Charitable Foundation.
“The Smart & Final Charitable Foundation is proud to partner with Caterina’s Club and KFI AM 640 to provide Smart & Final’s generous customers an easy way to contribute and make a huge difference in the lives of so many families in need.”
In 2021, through a combination of in-store donations and direct contributions, the foundation contributed $305,075 to PastaThon, a 78 percent increase over 2020. Last year’s KFI PastaThon, supported by Smart & Final and Barilla Pasta, broke previous records raising $1,033,504 and more than 115,000 pounds of pasta and sauce.
The Smart & Final Charitable Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life and nourishing the communities Smart & Final serves. The foundation aids nonprofits with a focus on hunger relief, health and wellness, team sports and youth development, education and disaster relief. In 2021, the Charitable Foundation raised nearly $2 million to support more than 1,400 causes with the help of Smart & Final customers and employees.
