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Living up to its name, Top Rocker Field kept crowds entertained. Cape Coral-based Soulixer was the first of three bands in the lineup.Even Hurricane Irma couldn’t get in the way of the premiere SWFL Hunger Games—a bonanza of food trucks competing against each other for Best in Show and other awards that went off without a hitch as planned on Oct. 7.
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While there was enough room under large tents for all festivalgoers, people who bought $100 VIP tickets were treated to front row seats to see the bands and platters of free food all day from the culinary team at FGCU—and the entire cost of each was donated to Blessings in a Backpack, which can feed one child each weekend for an entire school year.But the real winners, however, were the food-insecure Southwest Florida children who receive meals from the event’s beneficiary, Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, every weekend.
It’s not a widely recognized fact, but nearly 60,000 kids across both Lee and Collier counties have trouble getting enough nourishment on a weekly basis, relying on school lunches and scraping by when not in the classroom.
Scott Fischer, the charismatic impresario behind the event and its venue, Six Bends Harley-Davidson, decided several years back to do something about it. He had heard about the nonprofit with branches across the country and wanted to find a way to bring it to our neck of the woods.
Now, not only is there a thriving local chapter, but there also is the start of what is expected to be an annual fundraiser for it—ensuring more and more of those needy kids will receive backpacks filled with food each Friday so their weekends are not filled with worry.
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People bought tickets to get tastes of the various offerings from well-known local food trucks like BGCCC’s Blue Canteen, Red Roc Cravings, Mobstah Lobstah, Jonesz BBQ and Little Pete’s. Drinks were also on offer, and VIPs were provided with volunteer runners to wait on line for them.
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Coasting Donuts, a local food truck, was a big winner—sweeping many categories, including Best in Show and Best Dessert—for its sublime strawberry cheesecake doughnuts.Get the Hot Dishevery Wednesday and Friday online and monthly in the magazine. Subscribe to the Hot Dish e-newsletter here.