"Pasta for Ben a Great Success", says Tricia Gibney

The Pasta for Ben supper, held at the Elks Club on April 18th was a great success.” said Tricia Gibney, spokesperson for the event sponsored by the Giving Back Girls.   Youngsters and adults alike made something truly meaningful in a genuine tribute heralding their support of the courageous family of Benjamin Buckley, the seven year old boy who died on January 23, 2014 after a fatal asthma attack.  

Present for the celebratory honoring of the short life of Ben Buckley  were his parents, Jeff and Cristin Buckley, his sister, Madison, 11, and  his twin brother, Adam, 7.  Jeff Buckley expressed the family’s sincere gratitude to the community for its support during the past two months.  “The caring and loving words and actions of so many these past two months have been deeply appreciated; it has enabled us to cope, to move on.”  

Such personal strength is remarkable, nonetheless, as is the community-wide compassion in helping this young family to rise beyond their profound loss to honor and treasure the brief life of their son, Benjamin.    

Pasta for Ben provided an opportunity for the people of Southington and beyond to join the family in a modest meal of salad, bread, pasta with marinara sauce, cookies, cake and other delectable sweets in a respectful yet heart-warming environment of uplifiting music, prizes, face- painted kids and grownups, many bearing the words: ‘Ben was here’ .  

Gibney and the Giving Back Girls were grateful to the Buckley family for “bravely cheering on the benefit which resulted in proceeds  of more than $4,500.00”. Gibney stated: “All proceeds will be used for local student scholarships and grants to fund asthma and allergy research and prescriptions”.  Concerned that she might inadvertently omit any of the many who came forward in this community effort, Gibney hesitated to individually thank the many who made it all possible. 

But surely, the greater Southington community deserves a well-earned salute in gathering to remember that indeed, Ben Was Here, that this special  little boy made a truly positive difference in this world”.