Whidbey Island Nourishes, or WIN, invites the public to frolic to feed youth at its annual fundraiser Saturday.
The Rock around the Rock 2018 Summer Frolic is slated for 6-9 p.m., Saturday at the Clinton farm owned by Georgia Gerber and Randy Hudson.
This year’s event is a sock hop and will include dinner catered by Upper Left Catering, music by The Heggenes Valley Boys and live and silent auctions. It wouldn’t be a sock hop without dancing, and 1950s clothing is encouraged but not required, according to board president Pamela LeLoup.
Tickets are $125 per person and proceeds will go to fill the nonprofit’s pantry. Auction items will include original works of art by Whidbey artists, local-made jewelry, gift certificates and merchandise from local stores and restaurants and a wheelbarrow full of wine.
“Whidbey Island Nourishes has been around 11 years, and just this year our numbers have gone up 25 percent,” LeLoup said.
This year the organization has distributed about 3,000 meals per month, she said, through weekend lunch programs, the Hub, Ryan’s House, the Family Resource Center, self-serve refrigerators at Good Cheer Thrift Stores, and more.
The volunteer-powered nonprofit relies on community donations and small grants.
“It’s all from the community,” she said. “There are very generous supporters here on South Whidbey.”
Already this year WIN had distributed 28,000 cheese sticks, 2,500 pounds of grapes, 4,000 hard boiled eggs and 4,500 pounds of vegetables, she said.
“We really concentrate on nutrition,” LeLoup said.
A nutritionist on the board oversees meals distributed. Whole wheat bread, organic local jam and fresh produce from local farms are used in the pre-prepared meals.
The increase in meals is mostly due to increased outreach and more families in need knowing about the services the organization provides. The annual “frolic” helps the nonprofit keep up with the demand.
“This is our major fundraiser,” LeLoup said. “And we really depend on the support from this event, especially to fill our pantry with all the food that we need to provide food to the kids on South Whidbey.”
• For tickets, go to www.hidbeyislandnourishes.org
