Local Restaurants Support Nation's Wounded Veterans

By STAFF (Open Post)

Two local restaurants answered the call when asked to contribute gift cards for a fundraiser in Newtown to help fund a handicap house being built for a young Army Ranger returning to Connecticut with life-altering injuries.

Leo’s Restaurant (located in Southbury and Middlebury) and the Rathskeller Restaurant & Bar generously donated gift cards to be silent auctioned to help raise funds for Homes For Our Troops, a national nonprofit which builds custom handicap house for young military returning with severe life-altering injuries, at no cost to the soldier.

Ricci’s Salon & Spa of Newtown held a ‘Cut-a-Thon’ on Sunday, May 15th from 10 am – 4 pm. Ricci’s owners, manager, staff, and Toni & Guy alumni (their hairdressing academy), many of who now owned their own shops, came in on their day off to cut hair for no pay. 100% of the haircut fees and tips were donated to Homes For Our Troops and earmarked for Army SPC Sean Pesce’s house to be built in West Haven, Connecticut. Pesce was shot thirteen times, sustaining damage to several major organs, and one bullet severed his spine, resulting in permanent paralysis from the waist down.

Waiting customers bid on the gift cards and items that lined the beautiful quartz countertop of the salon’s lobby. Restaurant gift cards, museum passes, movie tickets, and even major league baseball tickets were bid on.

Longtime volunteer fundraiser for Homes For Our Troops, Lois Imbriano Barber felt overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for our nation’s wounded military. She stated, “It wasn’t just Newtown businesses who stepped up, two Southbury restaurants, Leo’s and Rathskeller contributed, as well as The Little Pub, which has restaurants as far as Ridgefield, Wilton, and Cos Cob. The clients were so generous. Every restaurant gift card went for the full price of its face value.

It was quite an event! The cars full of people coming for haircuts never stopped pulling into Ricci’s parking lot! Senator Blumenthal stopped in at the event's kickoff to thank Ricci's stylists for donating their time and talents! We were so thrilled to have him attend! We were even featured on FOX 61 CT that evening.

If you are dining in Middlebury or Southbury, I ask that you please support these two wonderful restaurants that support our military. Without their charitable contributions, Ricci’s benefit event would not have been the huge success it was. We raised almost $1,000 per hour for the 6-hour event. Not only was the event sold out with every appointment slot filled, the donations of silent auction items took us over the top of what we expected to raise.

Thank you Leo’s and Rathskeller! If you stop in for a bite, please thank them for supporting our military!”

Barber plans a future event at 1st and 10 Sports Bar in New Milford who has stepped forward to host a Silent Auction of sports times.

If you didn’t attend the Ricci’s Salon event but would like to donate for Pesce’s house, checks made payable to “Homes For Our Troops” and earmarked for Sean Pesce may be sent to: Homes For Our Troops; 6 Main St; Taunton, MA 02780. Donations are tax-deductible.

Newtown’s annual Beautiful Baby Contest, another fundraiser headed by Barber, is currently seeking cute baby photos (newborn-4 years old) to raise funds for the Pesce’s house. Children do not need to live in Newtown to be entered.

The entry fee is a $10 check donation to Homes For Our Troops, and the winner will ride in the Newtown Labor Day Parade in a convertible provided by Mercedes of Danbury.

To enter, send a $10 check made payable to ‘Homes For Our Troops’ and a non-returnable 4- by 4-inch photo (cut a 4- by 6-inch down to size) or wallet-size photo with the child’s name and a contact phone number and e-mail written clearly on the back to: Baby Contest, c/o Lois Barber, 33 Zoar Road, Sandy Hook CT 06482.

For additional information contact Ms Barber at babycontest2010@gmail.com

Rathskeller Restaurant & Bar -

88 Main ST South

Southbury, CT

203-264-0186

Leo’s Restaurants -

900 Straits Tpke

Middlebury, CT

203-598-0166

7 Poverty Rd (Bennett’s Square Mall)

Southbury, CT

203-264-9190