The Food Bank of North Central Arkansas will hold their seventh annual Bridge Bash Festival, in Cotter, beginnning Saturday morning at 10:00 and lasting until 7:00 in the evening. Festivities begin at Big Spring Park with the opening ceremony, followed later by local and regional artists, leading up to the highlight of the evening, the Kentucky Headhunters.
Area residents are invited to Stand Up For Hope at this years event by donating $25 to hunger relief. A $25 donation will provide 125 meals through the Food Banks network of Partner Hunger Relief Organizations across nine counties of north central Arkansas. Sponsors of this years event have made it possible for 100% of donations raised through Bridge Bash to be spent on the Food Banks Core Food Distribution Program. The Food Banks goal is to raise $100,000, provide 500,000 meals and package an additional 100,000 meals. Participants can Stand Up for Hope during the Hope Ceremony scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in front of the main stage, or can become a virtual participant and Sleep in for Hope.
Individuals attending are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and spend the day in the park.
Event Coordinator Susan Stockton says things will be done a little differently this year.
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Children under 12 get in free. To find a complete list of locations giving away free tickets visit foodbanknca.org and click the Get Help button for a list of Food Bank Partner Hunger Relief Organizations.
Stockton says part of the reason for offering free tickets through the partner agencies is to increase awareness of where the agencies are located and what type of work they do for the community, including services offered.
Bridge Bash events include the Opening Ceremony at 10:00 in the morning. Chris Royer will take the stage afterward at 11:00 and Framing the Red at 12:30. At 3:00 in the afternoon Congressman Rick Crawford and Triple Nickel will be on the main stage followed by the Stand Up for Hope Ceremony at 4:30 and the Kentucky Headhunters at 5:00.
In addition to the activities on the main stage, over 100 food and merchandise vendors are expected to fill the park, a Kayak Race will begin at the Bull Shoals Dam at 8 a.m., and the Kids Korner will be open throughout the day. The Car, Truck and Bike Show will begin with registration at 9 in the morning, and judging, two hours later, at 11:00. The popular meal packaging event will run from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Last year over 100,000 meals were packaged.
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Jeff Quick, Food Bank Chief Executive Officer, says the idea that during the day they will surpass three million meals which have been provided through Bridge Bash since its inception is amazing. He says to have an award winning group like the Kentucky Headhunters, just tops off the celebration.
During the first six years of Bridge Bash, residents in north central Arkansas have provided over 2.8 million meals through the Food Banks hunger relief network. This years event is set to provide 500,000 meals and package an additional 100,000 meals, in just one day, bringing the organizations seven year total to over 3.2 million meals by the end of the day.
Across the nine counties served by the Food Bank, the annual meal gap is estimated at approximately five million meals. With the addition of Bridge Bash to the Food Banks annual fundraising efforts, the Food Bank has been able to realize an average 13% annual growth in distribution over the past seven years.
Quick explains the growth and need, Over the past seven years we have been able to make significant strides toward bridging the meal gap in north central Arkansas. We want the community to understand that our distribution numbers are not rising because the need is growing, but because the Food Bank is doing a better job at providing food to existing food pantries as the primary food source for the hunger relief organizations across the region. Food Hardship rates have actually declined according to recent Gallup polls both nationally and on a statewide level. However, Quick reminds While the Food Hardship rate is declining, there are still many individuals, families and seniors who depend on our services and the services of the local food pantries, soup kitchens, back pack programs, shelters and summer meal sites for children.
Bridge Bash is designed to raise awareness for the hunger relief organizations in north central Arkansas, and to raise the much needed funds to meet the need in our communities. As the culminating event for Hunger Action Month, Shirley Clark, Food Bank Program Officer added, It is important to remember that one in three children in north central Arkansas are considered food insecure. As many as 76% to 98% of school children across our region qualify for subsidized meal programs offered though public schools. Annually approximately 38,000 residents of north central Arkansas depend on the services of the Food Bank at some point throughout the year, with some 10,000 of those individuals being children.
To find out more about how to Stand Up for Hope, participate as a event volunteer or meal packaging volunteer, contact the Food Bank at 870-499-7565, visit their website at foodbanknca.org , or the Bridge Bash Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bridgebash.
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