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11/05/2021 12:00 AMOrganizers of the 11th annual Christmas Caddy gift drive are gearing up to drive in dozens of $25 and $50 Walmart gift cards for Branford Counseling and Community Services' (BCCS) "Secret Santa" program benefiting Branford families in need.
BCCS gives the gift cards to families to buy holiday gifts for their kids. On Saturday, Nov. 20, the Caddy will be rolling up in front of Branford Town Hall, 1019 Main St. from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. to gather up gift card donations from community members, said event co-organizer Renee Pantani. The collection will also accept cash as well as checks made out to Branford Counseling & Community Services (please write secret Santa in the memo section).
If you can't make it to meet the Christmas Caddy on Nov. 20, you can make a donation right now online. Pantani said family members have set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of collecting $1,500 to be given to BCCS to purchase gift cards to give to families. Visit https://gofundme.com/f/christmas-caddy-2021 to make a donation.
Eleven years ago, extended family members of the late Bruce Pantani established the Christmas Caddy program in honor of Pantani's decades of dedication as a community volunteer. The annual collection has been an effort undertaken by members of the Angelo, Pantani and Fowler families, always with Pantani's 1965 cherry red Cadillac de Ville as its signature vehicle.
Following her passing in 2018, the Christmas Caddy has also become a way for the family to honor the late Johanna Pantani, Bruce's wife and founder of Feed Branford Kids.