Feed Lee’s Summit aims to fight hunger, ‘change our little corner of the world’

When Feed Lee’s Summit co-chair David Fritz was a young adult, he remembers sitting on his parents’ front porch as his mother shared their family’s familiarity with food insecurity.

“She said ‘I’m sorry you didn’t get enough to eat. I don’t know if you know but there were several times that I had to go to our church and ask for food,’” Fritz said.

“When I was a kid, I would go to friends’ houses and I would immediately go to their refrigerator and open it and then I would look in their cabinets,” he said. “A friend asked me one time: ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ And my only comment was ‘I’m trying to figure out if I want to stay.’ But I was searching for food. I just didn’t know it but it just became a habit.”

David and his wife, Julie, are working together to combat food insecurity in Lee’s Summit by co-chairing Feed Lee’s Summit, a fundraiser scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Pavilion at John Knox Village. The event’s 2024 goal is to raise $200,000 for five Lee’s Summit organizations: Boost 4 Success, Coldwater, Lee’s Summit Social Services, Meals On Wheels and One Good Meal.

Feed Lee’s Summit is in its sixth year and grew out of Empty Bowls, a fundraiser that featured artisan-crafted bowls and soup. Hosted by the Lee’s Summit Sunrise Rotary Club, Empty Bowls began in 2007 to benefit One Good Meal. Today, Feed Lee’s Summit is presented by both the Lee’s Summit Sunrise and Sunset Rotary Clubs.

Since both events began, Empty Bowls and Feed Lee’s Summit have raised more than $734,000 to combat food insecurity in the Lee’s Summit area.

“We truly cherish the Feed Lee’s Summit event,” said Megan Salerno, Lee’s Summit Social Services executive director. “It really showcases the incredible support within our community. It highlights the valuable resources that Lee’s Summit has to offer and reminds us of the generosity surrounding us.”

Monica Humbard, Coldwater executive director, also appreciates the two Rotary clubs’ efforts and how the fundraiser benefits the community.

“The donations we have received from Feed Lee’s Summit in the past few years have helped Coldwater get through some difficult years, with the food needs continuing to rise and the donations decreasing as everyone feels the effects of rising costs,” she said.

This year’s Feed Lee’s Summit will include culinary options from 16 restaurants, with offerings such as soups, small bites and desserts.

“We like for everybody to bring at least a soup,” David Fritz said. “That’s kind of our connection back to Empty Bowls.”

David is a member of the Sunrise Rotary Club and has served as the event’s chairman for several years. Julie, an honorary member of Rotary for her work on this fundraiser, has also helped with Feed Lee’s Summit in the past.

Restaurants providing menu items at the event are Bloom Baking Co., Dutzel’s Catering and Events, Flavor, LongBell Pizza Co., both Lee’s Summit Hy-Vee stores, Longhorn Steakhouse, Marina 27 Steak and Seafood, Matthew’s Catering, Orange Goat Sweets, Pearl Tavern, Price Chopper Lee’s Summit (Blue Parkway location), Ragazza Italian, Smoke Brewing Co., the Sugar Shop and Third Street Social.

Deron Cherry — a retired Kansas City Chiefs player, a five-time All Pro and creator of the Deron Cherry Foundation — will speak at the event.

Feed Lee’s Summit will also feature around 80 items in its silent auction and seven in the live auction including a framed Salvador Pérez jersey, a Chiefs helmet autographed by head coach Andy Reid, a painting by local artist Sonya Thompson, a week-long stay at a Florida vacation home, a Lake Lotawana dinner cruise, and a burger lunch combined with a tour of Fossil Forge and the opportunity to create your own metal artwork.

Other attractions at the fundraiser include entertainment by the Fountain City Ivories, a Bourbon Pull, Craft Beer Pull, a Putter or Purse challenge and a Local Eateries Wall featuring the opportunity to make a blind purchase of a bag containing gift cards from area restaurants. In addition, Fringe Beerworks of Lee’s Summit is creating a seltzer for the event with attendees receiving a free sample of this new brew.

A pre-event VIP experience is available as an add-on purchase and includes a private reception featuring a bourbon tasting, hand-rolled cigars, hors d’oeuvres, a custom engraved glass and the opportunity to meet the guest speaker.

Tickets for Feed Lee’s Summit are $100 each. Anyone who is unable to attend but still wants to contribute is welcome to make a contribution to the event, Julie Fritz said.

Sponsorships also play an important role in the event’s ability to meet its fundraising goal. This year’s VIP sponsors include Saint Luke’s East Hospital, Emery Sapp and Sons, and Unity World Headquarters. Opportunities for table sponsorships are also available.

David and Julie Fritz said they are looking forward to the community event and the opportunity to help the five local agencies.

“It is a way to give back and change our little corner of the world and make it better for somebody else,” Julie Fritz said.

“I don’t think anybody should be hungry,” David Fritz said. “Not anywhere in the world but especially here in the U.S. We’re a very wealthy country. Nobody should be hungry.”

Around 500 people are expected to attend Feed Lee’s Summit this year. To purchase tickets or to donate to the event, go here.