Anthony Fracalanza would have been 35 June 17.
“This is what he would be doing if he was here,” said Kristen Lannan.
“Best friend” was on the sleeve of her blue t-shirt with Fracalanza’s name, as she and about 20 volunteers, all with a personal ties to Fracalanza, she said, collected food and monetary donations for the Inn of the Good Shepherd’s food bank .
“We met in Grade 9 and he is the reason I was involved with the theatre,” Lannan said. “We were inseparable.”
Fracalanza, who worked at the Inn of the Good Shepherd for years and was heavily involved with Theater Sarnia, including participating in productions and running a youth group with Lannan, died suddenly in 2020.
This was the fourth year Theater Sarnia staged the Anthony’s HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) drive.
Fracalanza was always giving and thinking of others, Lannan said. “I just want to make sure I can keep his vision of giving back alive as much as I possibly can.”
The drive is held every year on a weekend close to Fracalanza’s birthday, June 17, she said.
In 2022the event collected 793 kilograms of food and more than $2,800.
Early in the five-hour drive beside the Imperial Theatre, things were going well, Lannan said.
Within 45 minutes, there were four bins full and several cash donations, she said, noting Starbucks donated coffee and tea for the event.
“So people can make a donation and get a free coffee or tea on us, which is kind of cool.”
A dance recital that’s been held simultaneously the last two years also helps, as many donate when they come to the theatre, she said.
“We’ve had a lot of response with that.”
With files from Paul Morden