Washington Trust extends PB Xpress

WESTERLY – The Washington Trust Co. has extended its 10th annual PB Xpress peanut butter drive through the second week of May because of the historic floods that hit the state within the last month.
The collection was initially scheduled to run until the end of April.
“Our 10th annual PB Xpress campaign was under way and the drive was going well before the catastrophic floods hit,” Joseph J. MarcAurele, Washington Trust’s president and COO, said in a statement. “However, with so many people affected by the flood, the need for assistance from the local food banks is greater than ever. By extending the campaign into May, we believe we can collect more peanut butter to help those Rhode Islanders directly affected by the flood and those who were already in need of assistance.”
The goal of Washington Trust’s PB Xpress 2010 campaign is to collect 23 tons of peanut butter for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. In addition to donations at its branches, Washington Trust has enlisted the help of more than 140 schools, businesses and organizations to collect the peanut butter.
“We strongly encourage those who can afford to and have not done so yet, to donate peanut butter,” MarcAurele said. “It’s a small donation that can go a long way, as one jar of peanut butter can provide up to 16 sandwiches for a family.”
On April 29, the Pawtucket Red Sox will hold PB Xpress Night at McCoy Stadium as they face the Indianapolis Indians. The PawSox and Washington Trust will give a general admission ticket to every fan that brings a jar of peanut butter to the PB Xpress table outside the main ticket office on the night of the game.
For information about the 10th annual PB Xpress, visit at www.peanutbutterbank.com or visit the PB Xpress Facebook fan page.