By DANI ELLE BRISSETTE

WOONSOCKET — With only three days left for the 76th Annual Milk Fund Appeal, the charity remains well short of its $80,000 goal.

“We have reached 51 percent of the goal,” WOON President and General Manager Dave Richards said of this year’s Milk Fund donations Thursday.
According to Richards, fund-raising efforts at WOON Radio have given the effort a substantial boost — and although the goal has not yet been reached, every donation has made a difference.
“For my own project, the Milk Fund auctions that (WOON Radio) did, we increased from 16 to 39 auctions and it was a great success for us,” Richards said. “We were able to do much more for the Milk Fund than we had in the past, and we’re very happy with the results and grateful to the donors and to the bidders,”
Though all the activities, fundraisers, and events held for the Milk Fund were successful, donations received as of Dec. 26 equaled $41,491.84. That means Milk Fund organizers will have to raise more than $38,000 in the next few days to reach their target by Dec. 31.
“If everybody who had promised to donate money would come through with their donations, we’d still be short for our goal,” said Milk Fund co-chair Diane Rivers. “It’s not just people promising the money, it’s other people coming forward and donating.”
Rivers believes this year’s economic hardships, compounded by the usual holiday expenses, have put the squeeze on the Milk Fund. As much as ever, the fund needs new donors, she said.
“The big day was Christmas Eve, where everything started coming in at once. We had a $17,000 deposit.
“In the days after (Christmas), donations kind of trickle in more than anything else.”
According to WNRI Radio General Manager Roger Bouchard, the Milk Fund looks forward to a boost from philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein, who is expected to match donations made from now until Monday.
Milk Fund supporter Katrina Therrien told Bouchard that she “spoke with Feinstein Wednesday morning and told him about the Milk Fund,” Bouchard wrote in his weekly column in The Call on Thursday. “Mr. Feinstein, who has assisted hundreds of charities all over Rhode Island, says he will make a contribution to help boost the bottom line. Following the formula of detailing donations and mentioning the Feinstein Foundation, a contribution will be forwarded.”
Meanwhile, the familiar milk bottles will be in circulation at local businesses through Monday. Contributions can also still be made to The Call, WOON, WNRI or by contacting Rivers, who is hopeful that Woonsocket residents will make every effort to help the drive reach its goal.
“I’m still very optimistic. I believe the people in this area have always been generous and have always come through,” Rivers said. “I’m very optimistic that it may still happen.”
Started in 1932, the Milk Fund provides milk to the needy through vouchers redeemable at any Li’l General Store. This past year, organizers said, more than 1,000 children and elderly received milk through the program, administered by Family Resources Inc. The non-profit has been in charge of distributing Milk Fund money since the drive began 76 years ago. Those eligible to receive assistance can live anywhere in The Call’s circulation area.
Collections are turned over to Milk Fund Inc., headed by Michael Darveau as president.
Donations can be mailed or dropped off at The Call at 75 Main St.; WOON Radio, 1 Social St.; and WNRI Radio, 786 Diamond Hill Road, the three businesses that sponsor the Milk Fund.
The name of every donor will be published in this newspaper, a Call tradition since the fund’s inception.