WESTLAND – The final tallies are in and the first annual "Noodles and Neighbors" spaghetti dinner held by State Representative Richard LeBlanc (D-Westland) turned out to be a great success, drawing hundreds of residents and raising thousands of dollars for Michigan's two veterans' homes.
"I am very pleased with the success of this event," said LeBlanc, a member of the State House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee. "Even in these tough economic times it's wonderful to see such generosity from so many of our residents. The evening was a great way to get together with family and friends and also to give back to the men and women who put their lives on the line to fight for our country."
About 400 area residents attended the "Noodles and Neighbors" event and nearly $7,400 was raised to benefit the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette.
LeBlanc's event was held on the evening of Oct. 3 at the Westland Friendship Center.Spaghetti dinner was served to residents by a celebrity wait staff including State Representative Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor) and Col. Peter C. Munoz, Director of the Michigan Department of State Police. In addition to dinner generously prepared by stores and restaurants in the area, friends and neighbors also took part in a silent auction and were awarded door prizes.
"Michigan's veteran's homes are very important in the everyday lives of many of our retired soldiers," LeBlanc said. "They fought for us and our country and the least we can do is give them the best life possible. I am very grateful to all those who volunteered their time and resources to make this event possible and of course to those who came for dinner. I am very proud of our community and I look forward to next year's event."