There was a full house at The Regent for the benefit concert headlined by Road Apples, a Tragically Hip tribute band based, of course, in Kingston. Evan Rotella, with special guest Dave Rave of Teenage Head, opened the show.

The organizers, Ameliasburgh Councillor Sam Grosso and developer Conrad Guciewiscz, note the food-insecure population in the County has reached a critical point. 

Ticket sales raised $20,000, an amount nearly doubled by silent and live auctions. 

“I thought the live and silent auction would raise $5,000. It raised $17,000,” said Mr. Grosso. 

Among the auctioned items were a vintage car wine tour, a night at Wander, and a guitar signed by the members of the Tragically Hip. That went for $7,000. 

What began as a desire to book a Tragically Hip tribute band soon snowballed into a way to give back to the community. 

“It was on a whim, to tell you the truth,” said Mr. Grosso.

The community support couldn’t have come at a better time. 
The food bank has seen a 35 percent
year-over- year increase 
in demand.

“I said, if we’re going to do the show why don’t we do it as a fundraiser? And Conrad said, why don’t we do it for the Wellington food bank?” 

Cynthia Riordan, President of the StoreHouse Foodbank, recalled that Mr. Grosso proposed the idea as a surprise during a meeting of the Affordable Housing Corporation.

“It was a beautiful gift for us that someone wanted to take on a big fundraiser like this, and have the goal to fill 400 seats,” she said.

A large portion of the money will go towards holiday hampers with turkeys and hams. 

“Sometimes we can’t give turkeys and hams because they’re expensive,” noted Ms. Riordan. “We were thinking Christmas, but with the amount raised we’ll be able to do Thanksgiving as well.”

The Storehouse will also focus on getting healthy school snacks to children and packaging meals for seniors. 

Growing Food Insecurity

The generous community support couldn’t have come at a better time. The food bank has seen a 35 percent year-over- year increase in demand. 

“We can do so much more to help people, especially with fall coming on. Usually we get an increase in clients come fall,” Ms. Riordan said.

It has outgrown its space in the basement of the Wellington Pentecostal Church. Ms. Riordan envisions a move, and one that could make the food bank a community hub. The Storehouse is consulting with the Affordable Housing Corporation about a move to their Niles Street property.

Annual Event

After the success of the show, Mr. Grosso wants to build the fundraiser into an annual event. 

“The issue of food insecurity in the County made it a very worthy night as well as a memorable one,” said The Regent’s Executive Director, John Galway. 

He added that being a community partner is part of the Regent’s mission, “particularly when it fits into our expertise, which is concerts, movies, and events onstage.”

“It’s team work,” Ms. Riordan said. “You can’t do this in isolation, but the power of the community to make great things happen is wonderful.”