The Comox Valley Food Bank Society will appreciate your support on July 3 at the Mex Pub for this month’s 1st Tuesday Fundraiser event.
The featured musical guest will be Anela Kahiamoe, joined by Luke Blu Guthrie.
Kahiamoe is a Hawaiian-born artist who has been a prominent part of the Hawaiian entertainment circuit for decades. His successful music career began with a group called Island Style, which toured extensively in Canada, opening for performers such as Elvin Bishop and Fleetwood Mac and their recorded song El Dorado reached number five on the top 40 in 1978.
Anela performed regularly with Island Style on the Ali’i Kai Catamaran sunset dinner sail, where he started working with the legendary Loyal Garner and was invited to be part of her band. He continued working as a member with Garner until the early 1990s.
Anela has been a member of other high profile bands including the Hoku Award-winning band Nightwing and Tino and the Rhythm Club performing in Hawaii’s best venues. His hospitable island warmth and skillful musicianship have earned him the reputation of a world-class performer.
Since marrying his Canadian wife and moving to the Comox Valley, Anela has had no trouble finding his groove in the musical community. He hosts a local open mic, teaches guitar, ukulele, bass, steel guitar and Hawaiian slack key.
Anela will perform at Vancouver Island Musicfest this year, playing Hawaiian guitar and ukulele as well as in a duo with Doug Cox called the Pacific Poi Boys!
Joining Anela on July 3 is the Comox Valley’s own Guthrie, a skilled musician, songwriter, and recording artist who has just returned from a music tour in Newfoundland.
The monthly musical series is sponsored by the Mex Pub, and features the performance of local musicians who choose a non-profit group to support. The evening starts at 7:30 p.m.
The goal of the Comox Valley Food Bank is to help families make ends meet, something they have been doing since the early 1980s. A major concern for the organization is finding a new location for its operations that will be long term, affordable, and accessible to those who need their services.
The CVFBS distributes food to 1,200 people per month with emergency food hampers — hampers that include a five-day supply of food and can be accessed once a month per household. The hampers include nutritionally balanced food, staple food items, and donated extras.
A recent addition is the Fresh From the Heart campaign, which makes an effort to include fresh fruits and vegetables as well as nutritional snacks. This focus is an important part of the food bank’s services as one third of those who are helped by the food bank are children.
In addition to monthly hampers, the food bank also provides daily emergency food distribution on a first-come basis from 9:30 to noon. Use of the daily service is currently 1,000 visits per month, so finding a new location with adequate space, parking and accessibility is an urgent priority.
The evening of July 3 is sure to be memorable. Admission is by cash or food donation at the Mex. Cash donations allow the food bank to purchase in bulk and to take advantage of sales, as well as cover operating costs. For those who want to bring a food donation, nutritional non-perishable food items and toiletries are appreciated. For more information about 1st Tuesday Fundraisers, visit www.judyandbruce.com/foodbank.html.
— Judy and Bruce Wing
