After a three-year hiatus, the Issaquah Philharmonic Orchestra is excited to return to their annual Food Raiser Concert at Eastridge Church on May 22 at 7:30 p.m. It’s just the latest contribution by the IPO to ensure the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank has vital resources for the summer months.
The IPO is an all-volunteer, non-profit orchestra that rehearses weekly and performs several free community concerts each year, making a special effort to reach out to families with young children and seniors. Members range in age from high school students to musicians in their nineties.
In 2016, the orchestra resolved to use a concert to collect food donations for the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank and decided to start with the final concert of the season to give the food bank a boost for the summer school break.
That first Food Raiser Concert brought in 440 pounds of food and the event grew quickly in the years after, collecting more than 4,900 pounds of much-needed food donations through 2019.
In 2018, the IPO also began collecting cash donations which became important when the orchestra was forced to cancel the event for three years starting in 2020 due to COVID-19. These proactive efforts have raised almost $8,000 – especially critical during a time when rising demand has required the food bank to purchase more fresh food.
In addition to the Food Raiser Concert, the IPO has supported our work as a sponsor of our annual Issaquah Turkey Trot event. As an event sponsor, the IPO helps to raise community awareness and vital funds to ensure that healthy food and vital resources remain accessible to the estimated 9,000 people in our immediate region who struggle with food insecurity.
The orchestra is delighted to be able to perform in person again and, unlike previous Food Raiser Concerts that were performed at various smaller venues, this year’s event will be held at Eastridge Church, allowing many more people to attend in a beautiful acoustic space. The concert will welcome King County Councilmember Sarah Perry as the MC, Washington State Representative Bill Ramos as the narrator, and will feature a highlight from Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank’s Executive Director, Stephanie Norton-Bredl. We are grateful to Food Raiser event sponsors 4 Culture and the Issaquah Arts Commission for supporting this effort.
Want to join in? Just check the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank’s website for the most needed items to donate, and find more concert details on the orchestra’s website and Facebook page.
We deeply appreciate the Issaquah Philharmonic Orchestra for joining us in helping to achieve our vision of a connected, supportive community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Hope to see you at the concert!
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