October 31, 2020

The need to feed families in Lee’s Summit is driving a live, virtual event Nov. 12.

Feed Lee’s Summit 2020, sponsored by the Lee’s Summit Sunrise Rotary Club, will benefit local nonprofits that help food-insecure families. Those nonprofits include Coldwater, Lee’s Summit Social Services, Meals on Wheels-Lee’s Summit and One Good Meal. Collectively, these four nonprofits serve thousands of residents through food pantries and daily meal deliveries.

In 2019, Feed Lee’s Summit brought in over $40,000. Organizers this year say the need is even greater.

“Lee’s Summit is a community we are proud to call home, but there exists a less fortunate segment that struggles to meet daily food needs,” said Carl Froeschle, 2020 Chair of Feed Lee’s Summit. “In pre-COVID times, 6-8 percent of Lee’s Summit residents were food insecure. This equates to approximately 6,000 men, women and children. During the current pandemic, these numbers have grown significantly, placing a strain on our area food pantries to address basic food needs.”

The live, online event will include appearances from KC Wolf and other supporters, a silent auction, raffle, live blues and jazz performances by Les Fous Guitares and Main Street Mojo Band as well as messages from the four nonprofit organizations.

For safety reasons, Lee’s Summit Sunrise Rotary opted for a virtual event in 2020, which they say will be a vital fundraiser in today’s climate.

“Feed Lee’s Summit is the ongoing legacy of Lee’s Summit Sunrise Rotary’s commitment to supporting local food pantries,” Froeschle said. “With the support of our community, we have raised in excess of a quarter million dollars over the past 12 years. Feed Lee’s Summit is needed now more than ever to aid our food pantries who are assisting the growing number of food insecure families in Lee’s Summit suffering in this COVID pandemic.”

Lee’s Summit Medical Center is the Signature Sponsor of this year’s event. Patron Sponsors for the event include County Beverage, Gale Communities, Paradise Asphalt, RT Specialty, St. Luke’s East Hospital and UMB Bank.

Registration and donation opportunities can be found at https://feedls.org/home. Once registered, participants will receive the virtual event link via e-mail.