In an effort to give back to the community and aid the less fortunate, Page at 63 Main restaurant in Sag Harbor has announced a holiday fundraiser for the Sag Harbor Food Pantry.
First, the restaurant, which is owned by Joe Traina, teamed up with the Sag Harbor Cinema to make a $1,000 cash donation to the food pantry.
Second, it has pledged to make a monthly donation of prepared food to the pantry through the end of 2023.
Now, it is collecting donations from patrons and offering them the opportunity to buy eco-friendly canvas tote bags for $20 with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the food pantry.
What’s more, Page is offering customers a little enticement to make a donation by giving them “loyalty credits,” which are good for a variety of items on the restaurant’s menu when they make a donation at Page or show proof of having done so.
“Most of the people who work at Page are locals or have moved to Sag Harbor and have become part of the community,” said Rae McMahon, the restaurant’s director of marketing. “Their hearts are in Sag Harbor.”
That includes McMahon, a Sag Harbor native, who is the daughter of the restaurant’s director of events, Jaci LaBorne.
Originally, Page had planned to donate prepared foods once a month through the end of the year, but decided to extend the donations through 2023. During the winter months, the restaurant will prepare containers of soups prepared by Executive Chef Cleon Clark. When the weather warms up, a change of menu item will follow, McMahon said.
Page is asking that donors not bring food to the restaurant but to use the other delivery points in the village.
Instead, the restaurant will collect monetary donations, which it will turn over to the pantry. Those who make donations will benefit from a system designed by the restaurant’s director of operations, Eric Peele, called “loyalty credits” that are based on the amount of a diner’s bill and can be redeemed, depending on the amount collected, for everything from dessert to dinner for two. Now, donations to the food pantry will be eligible for those same loyalty credits.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to give back to the community that has supported us,” McMahon said, noting that during the pandemic regulars showed up to buy gift certificates to help the restaurant meet payroll. “Page regularly makes donations to local charities, both monetary and in the form of providing food and services, and this fundraising campaign that we are hosting through the holiday season is only the start of our efforts to give back with more to come in the new year.”