COTTAGE HILLS — Like in years past, Foodstock is here to help fill pantries' shelves. But this year it also aims to help a local cancer patient, in honor of Foodstock's late co-founder Andrea Davis.
Co-founded with Emmylou Friemann in 2014, Foodstock's mission is to serve the community by making a large annual contribution to local charities such as food pantries and victims of domestic violence shelters. Foodstock continued to host the food drive and music event every year until 2017, making a 2020 comeback — during a pandemic, no less — with a drive-through event.
Foodstock's first official event was at the Cottage Hills VFW in 2014. Foodstock currently operates as an annex of the Cottage Hills VFW Post 7678.
Friemann gives all of the credit for Foodstock's success to the group of volunteers who put their hearts into planning and preparing for their events.
"We have truly become a family over the years. There is so much love among these incredible women," she said. This year, Foodstock will be held from noon-midnight Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Cottage Hills VFW, 121 S. Williams St., in Cottage Hills. The event is organized as a family friendly music festival with live, local bands playing throughout the day.
This year's musical lineup includes Lazy Lester from noon-3 p.m., Roaming Home, 4-7 p.m. and Spillie Nelson 8-11 p.m. There is a $5 entry fee for the festival. Children age 3 and younger are admitted for free. “Small acts of kindness add up to make a big difference,” said Friemann.
Prior to 2014, Friemann first asked friends and family to bring cans of food to parties she hosted at her home or a local park. This led to what now is Foodstock, with the support of Davis and other friends, which moved the following year to its current home at the VFW. Foodstock 2022 will benefit local charities, the Community Hope Center, and Oasis Shelter for Women, and they are hopeful to be able to donate to one local cancer patient.
"We're doing good now; we got off to a rocky start though," Friemann said. "Foodstock is only possible with financial support provided by sponsors, and the economy being in such a bad state, it was hard to secure sponsorships initially. But we've been blessed that the businesses that stepped up were very generous.
"We are really excited about this year," she said. "It's an all-ages event with a positive family environment and great kids' activities."
"The heart of the event is our 'Stack Off' challenge" said Friemann about the contest going on now through the day of the event, collecting nonperishable food at different community locations. The Stack Off challenge welcomes businesses, groups, teams, organizations or simply a group of friends, to compete against each other to collect the most nonperishable food donations for local food pantries. A trophy will be awarded to the winning group.