HOWLAND - An Italian restaurant in Howland Township presented a check for more than $28,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley.

Salvatore's Italian Grill presented a $28,113 check to Second Harvest Food Bank on Friday afternoon. The money was raised from a recent celebrity bartender event at the restaurant in December.

Salvatore's manager Rosario Giampitti told 21 News a lot of people attended the event, with attendance exceeding expectations.

"We are very happy because we are able to help a lot of people who, unfortunately, cannot buy a lot of food during the holiday," Giampitti said.

Giampitti says he plans to do similar events to raise even more money in the future.