R-FH Students, Peanut Butter, Charity

News from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School:

Students at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School are being asked to bring peanut butter to school during the month of February, but it is not because anyone is anticipating a midday craving.

R-FH senior Lloyd Brown and the Character Education Club have organized a drive to benefit the Patrick Byrne Peanut Butter Global Nutrition initiative.

The program was started in memory of Lloyd's cousin Patrick Byrne, who passed away two years ago.

According to Lloyd, Patrick had "a big heart and a love of peanut butter." The mission of his namesake charity is to "introduce and provide citizens of the Dominican Republic — followed in future years by Haiti and Kenya — with healthy, high-protein peanut butter and to have a plan in place that allows them to incorporate it into their everyday diet." 

Since it is relatively inexpensive, easy to transport and non-perishable, peanut butter is an ideal nutrition source for export to third-world countries.

This is the second year that RFH is hosting the drive, which yielded 400 jars of peanut butter last year. The donated peanut butter will be used in school breakfast programs as well as in meals at a home for disabled children.

Lloyd expressed his gratitude for the generosity of the R-FH students and emphasized that this year he plans to raise the bar. "After traveling to the Dominican Republic and seeing first-hand the locations that received the peanut butter, I am determined to surpass last year's collection," he said.

Lloyd also plans to collect clothes, toys, and baseball equipment for use by children in the Dominican Republic.

Patrick Byrne's brother, a student at Ridgewood High School, has organized a peanut butter drive at that location as well.

All donations will be delivered by The Foundation for Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening communities in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Kenya.