SOUTH COUNTY — The local Blue Star Mothers of America group, in conjunction with Nana’s BBQ Grill in Chualar, put on a fundraiser March 25 to help send care packages to U.S. service members deployed all over the world.
Blue Star Mothers of America was founded in 1942 with the motto, “Serving Our Troops, Our Veterans, Our Military Families and Each Other.”
These ladies, all mothers of service members, spent their Saturday morning prepping for the crowds who were going to come in and support the cause.
The featured dish was Nana’s signature “Godfather Baked Potato,” a huge baked potato fully loaded with all the fixings and huge chunks of barbecued tri-tip. The full menu was available as well.
Blue Star Mothers also excepted donations of toiletries, snacks, beverages and miscellaneous items for the care packages.
Items needed include wet wipes, lotion, toilet paper and sun block in addition to such food items as beef jerky, granola or power bars, nuts/seeds, instant soups, ramen, peanut butter, powdered drink mixes and instant coffee.
“My daughter Kalissa and I are honored to donate items for our troops,” said Daisy Alcala of Soledad. “We are also here to try and finish one of these huge potatoes.”
Alcala added, “Kalissa is a member of the Soledad NJROTC and she loves to support events like these that help our troops.”
The day was a huge success, with a whopping 72 baked potatoes sold. The Blue Star Mothers also received monetary donations and a lot of care package items.
“A huge thanks to owner Gary Nana for opening his restaurant to us that day,” said Blue Star Mothers coordinator Linda Lara Guzman.
For more information, or to donate to the cause, call Katie Balli-Trevino at 831-905-9491.
