Foodstock concert raises record amount for Food for the Hungry

MOUNT VERNON – Community members packed Knox County Memorial Theatre on Tuesday night to recall the rockstars of yesteryear – particularly Tom Petty, George Harrison and Roy Orbison – and also to give back.

For the seventh year in a row, the Chautauqua Foodstock Concert benefited Food for the Hungry, which raises money and collects food to give to the local branches of The Salvation Army and Interchurch Social Services. Admission to the concert was a suggested donation of one or more food items or a monetary donation.

This year, however, was different. It was record-setting.

When Chris Petee, who organized and emceed the event, announced the night’s donation total at the end of the two-hour concert, she nearly broke down in tears. The concert had raised $2,473, over $1,000 more than it had the year before. 843 food items were collected. It was a record for the event, and the crowd broke out in applause as Petee jumped in joy.

“I’m still in shock,” Petee said afterwards. “A thousand dollars more than last year is just unbelievable. I thought maybe two or three hundred dollars more, but when she brought the totals back to me, I was just… oh my gosh.

“It makes all the hassle and the work and everything you have to do to get ready for one of these things, and just to have the people turn out and give what they had… my goodness, it’s just overwhelming. I’m just so happy.”

All proceeds will go towards Food for the Hungry, which will culminate its food drive on Saturday at the theatre.

Those who attended the concert could donate at the door or in the KFC buckets at the end of their aisles, which were then collected by Food for the Hungry volunteers. The crowd seemed engaged the entire night, as local musicians performed life-like renditions of classics by Petty, Harrison and Orbison.

Mike Petee (husband of Chris) played Petty, wearing a mid-length blonde wig and sporting a harmonica. Desmond Wall played Harrison, exhibiting a wry British accent from start to finish. Jeff Putnam played Orbison, wearing a black wig and a shiny gold tie.

Bill Miller held steady on drums and Roy Rush stole the show with his electric guitar solos, including one that brought the crowd to its feet during Petty’s 1989 hit, “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” Chris Petee served as a backup singer for several songs as well, jumping in with a tambourine at times.

The band performed an array of hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s, including Won’t Back Down, Free Fallin’, Oh, Pretty Woman and Got My Mind Set On You.

“The guys in the band – you know, these guys have been working on this for months, this is not something they just put together last week. They’ve been doing this for months, getting ready for this show – picking out the songs, what’s best to sing to get the people into the music and everything,” said Chris Petee, who makes up ‘Elixir Presents’ alongside Mike, which runs the local Chautauqua Series.

“It was very obvious from the very beginning, they were here to hear rock and roll. So that was wonderful.”

Sitting with his band backstage during intermission, Mike Petee thanked all who showed up to listen and donate on Tuesday night. He reflected on the importance of concerts like this, which can serve as a getaway for the community.

“I mean, you can tell from the reaction that the people are enjoying it,” said Petee, flipping the blonde hair from his wig out of his face. “To me, it’s a chance to just relax and have fun. The way the world is a lot of times, it’s nice to have a relaxing evening where you don’t have to worry about anything.”

Mike Petee said this was the first year he and his band had done ‘Tom Petty and Friends.’ They had performed as The Beatles, The Eagles, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary at previous Foodstock concerts. Petee said the band isn’t sure who they’ll perform as next year, but they plan on continuing to perform as long as everyone is still willing to donate their time and talent.

“Over the years, hopefully it becomes a fixture for maybe the newer musicians who play a little bit newer stuff,” Petee said of Foodstock. “But we hope to be able to continue doing it, and I get some great volunteers. Talented people.”

Lisa Mazzari, Food for the Hungry coordinator, counted donations alongside president Samantha Scoles during Tuesday night’s show. Following the show, like Chris Petee, she stood speechless. She gave all the credit to Elixir Presents, which made the event possible, and the county commissioners, who granted them use of the theatre for the night.

She thought about the food and donations collected that night, which would all go towards assisting those in need during the holiday season.

“Samantha and I were just floored,” she said of the record night. “The generosity is just… it’s a blessing.”

Last year, Food for the Hungry raised over $240,000 and collected over 28 truckloads of food. The organization’s drive culminates on Saturday with an eight-hour live radio and web broadcast on mvnu.tv.

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