Owners of Rock City Park in Olean, N.Y., will finish out the season with a canned food drive that is expected to help the Friendship Table for the needy in Bradford.
Cindy Smith, who co-owns Rock City Park with her husband, Dale, said the historic park on Route 16 in the town of Olean will admit visitors free of charge when they bring in a can of food or more during operating hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission includes the 45-minute hiking trail along the prehistoric ocean floor, which contains the largest exposure of quartz conglomerate in the world. Visitors are also invited to stop inside at the fluorescent rock room, history museum, gift shop and refreshment counter. Smith said the park, which closes for the season at the end of the month, continues to have a number of colorful fall trees which will provide a nice backdrop for walkers and hikers.
“This is a nice way to close the door, so to speak,” for the end of the season, she said.
Smith became aware of the Friendship Table’s service to the needy in the Bradford community during the facility’s 20th anniversary celebration a week and a half ago.
“I stopped down (at the Table) the other day because I saw they were having their anniversary open house,” Smith stated. “I was amazed at how many people they feed.”
Smith said she met Barb Shufran, chairperson, and Joe Doriguzzi, co-chairperson, during the open house and learned of the services they have provided over the past two decades.
“They’re real gung-ho and have been there for years, so I thought God bless them,” Smith continued. “I asked if they would mind if we do this and they said, ‘No, we would love it.’”
Smith said with the upcoming holiday season she is certain the table will be in need of additional food.
“I just thought this is a nice time to do this because it’s going to be holiday time” with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, Smith added.
She said the park did a similar canned food collection for the Genesis House homeless shelter in Olean approximately 12 years ago.
Rev. Lee Beckes, a board member and volunteer at the Friendship Table, was pleased to learn about the upcoming food collection.
“I hadn’t heard anything about it, but that would be most welcome,” Beckes said while doing volunteer work Monday at the Table. He said any type of canned good will be put to use.
“With the cooks we have right now, we’re using just about everything (donated) and it’s really great,” Beckes said.
He said soups, spaghetti sauces, beans, canned vegetables and fruits and juices will all be put to good use.
For more information on Rock City Park call (716) 372-7790. The Friendship Table can be contacted at 362-6658.
