Blues singer and guitarist Sue Foley rolled into Stettler on Thursday, June 16, to perform at the Stettler Performing Arts Centre to raise money for the Stettler and District Food Bank Society.
The multi-award winning musician entertained the crowd with stories and jazzy blues and roots tunes as the crowd filled the seats of the PAC.
According to food bank board president Betty Birch, Rob Grandfield and Peter Pollock organized the show. The two aren't members of the food bank board, but are "great community supporters," Birch said.
The concert netted the food bank roughly $7,000, money needed because at this point, the food bank is almost buying all its food as the shelves have been relatively bare.
Thirteen new families registered in June so far, bringing the number of new families asking for help from the food bank close to 70.
"We're holding (on) our own (financially)," Birch said. "People and organizations have been very generous."
Last year, when the food bank's shelves started to run bare, it cost the food bank roughly $5,000 a month to serve its clients. With numbers up this year, the amount is higher, though Birch said she didn't have an exact number.
The food bank has also been buoyed recently by the Fort McMurray relief efforts. Members of the community donated clothes for the evacuees staying in Stettler, and after evacuees had taken what they needed, the Consignment Closet sold the remaining clothes and donated the money to the food bank, Birch said.
"That was another $800," she said.
People wanting to make food donations to the food bank can phone Birch at 403-742-0732. Financial donations can be made in person or mailed in to the Stettler Food Bank Society, Box 1492, Stettler T0C 2L0. As the organization is a non-profit, tax receipts can be issued for donations greater than $20.