A legendary Bensonhurst personality is asking her fellow Brooklyn residents to open their hearts — and their wallets — for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

Maria Campanella, a civic do-gooder who has been driving an ice cream truck in Bensonhurst for many years and is known throughout the community as Maria the Ice Cream Girl, is hosting a “We Love Puerto Rico” party to raise money for hurricane victims.

The event, which is being co-sponsored by state Sen. Marty Golden (R-C-Bay Ridge-Southwest Brooklyn), will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at L&B Spumoni Gardens, 2725 86th St., starting at 7:30 p.m.

The fundraiser will feature two separate contests for food lovers: a pizza-eating contest and another contest in which participants will be eating food prepared by the chefs at Spumoni Gardens.

“It will be messy and amazing to watch!” Campanella promised. “It’s all for fun and for a great cause.”

The entry fee for each contest is $15 and must be pre-paid before the event. The contestants will compete for prizes.

Campanella said she hopes to raise a significant amount of money at the party. “We will be collecting any amount of donation you find it in your heart to give. You can purchase what you love at L&B and enjoy the togetherness of giving in humanity and being part of a beautiful and sharing community,” she said.

Hurricane Maria was a Category 4 storm that packed 140-mile-per-hour winds when it slammed into Puerto Rico on Sept. 20. The hurricane destroyed buildings, tore up roadways and left the island’s 3.4 million residents without electricity.

Money from the Oct. 4 fundraiser will donated to the American Red Cross, according to Campanella.

For more information about the fundraiser or to register as a contestant in the food-eating contests, call Campanella at 917-578- 6374.

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