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Free milk giveaway aids hundreds of households

Round 2 is today at Saranac Lake High School

Stacy Bruno is one one many volunteers loading gallon jugs of milk into people’s vehicles Saturday outside Saranac Lake High School. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

SARANAC LAKE — Hundreds of local households received free milk and other dairy products at a giveaway Saturday at Saranac Lake High School.

If you missed out, don’t worry. Round 2 of the giveaway will be held Monday from 9 a.m. to noon, at the Saranac Lake High School upper parking lot, Door No. 15, according to the Saranac Lake Neighbor Helping Neighbor Facebook page.

On Saturday, the goods were delivered by Glazier’s Food and Beverage Distributors of Malone and were paid for by a grant Glazier’s received from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program. The Rotary Club of Saranac Lake served as local nonprofit sponsor.

Saturday’s giveaway lasted from 9 a.m. to noon. Saranac Lake village Trustee Rich Shapiro said some volunteers were there to set up at 6 a.m. and that when he arrived at 7, there was already one person waiting to pick up milk. By 11 a.m. the 600 dairy boxes were long gone, but there was still plenty of milk to give away.

Each dairy box contained 16 ounces of sour cream, 16 ounces of cottage cheese, 12 string cheese sticks, six 8-ounce yogurt containers and a gallon of milk.

From left, volunteers Mary Beth Pelletieri, Franklin County dairy princess Amy Gokey and Anita Wilson pick up milk jugs to load into people’s cars Saturday outside Saranac Lake High School. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

Each household could also get up to 6 gallons of milk, with their choice of whole, 2%, 1% or skim.

“Don’t drink and drive,” Shapiro joked as he handed milk jugs to various people in their vehicles.

Recipients drove through the school parking area from Olive and Canaras streets toward Edgewood Road, and the giveaway was set up on the speed bump driveway toward Edgewood.

Numerous volunteers were on hand to help. These included school staff and parents, other local residents and a few notable visitors: recently crowned Franklin County Dairy Princess Amy Gokey — a 16-year-old who lives on a 350-cow farm in Burke and whose three older sisters were also dairy princesses — county Dairy Ambassador Patrick Bosley of Malone, state Assemblyman Billy Jones of Plattsburgh, state Senate candidate Kimberly Davis of Plattsburgh and state Assembly candidate Claudia Braymer of Glens Falls.

Milk not given away was to be placed in the high school refrigerators for use in the school’s food programs.

Amy Gokey of Burke, who was crowned Franklin County dairy princess on June 5, and county Dairy Ambassador Patrick Bosley load milk jugs into the trunk of a vehicle Saturday outside Saranac Lake High School. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

Similar milk giveaways have already taken place in Plattsburgh and Malone, and one is coming up in Massena.

Franklin County Dairy Ambassador Patrick Bosley of Malone and other volunteers deliver free milk to people’s vehicles Saturday outside Saranac Lake High School. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

Volunteers Nancy Bernstein, left, and Stacy Bruno, right, hand milk jugs to Bill Domenico to load in the back of his van Saturday outside Saranac Lake High School. (Enterprise photo — Peter Crowley)

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