Residents Organize Outdoor Concert to 'Give Back to Lemont'

Two longtime friends and Lemont residents are hoping to give back to their hometown this weekend with a free, family-friendly concert.

John Quinn and Mark Oikle have teamed up with Front Street Cantina, 319 Front St., to organize "Giving Back to Lemont," a five-hour outdoor concert that mixes family fun with charity.

The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday on the grass directly west of Front Street Cantina. Guests are invited to bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets—or enjoy food from Front Street—as local musicians and bands take the stage.

"The idea really started with us just wanting to have some kind of concert in the downtown area," Quinn said. "As we were talking about it, we thought it would be great to have something where families could come out and have fun, but also give back to the community."

During the concert,  Quinn and Oikle will be collecting non-perishable food and monetary donations for the Lemont Open Food Pantries, located at Bethany Lutheran Church and Lemont United Methodist Church.

"The food pantries really struggle this time of year," Quinn said. "We hope to raise some money and collect food, but we also want to bring awareness to the fact that there are a lot of people in this community that rely on that service."

When Quinn and Oikle began discussing the concert, they immediately had the support of Front Street Cantina, Quinn said.

"They're really bending over backward trying to help us with this, which we appreciate," Quinn said.

Quinn and Oikle have also been working with Lemont Township, which provides families in need with monetary assistance and vouchers to the food pantries.

To qualify for the pantries, residents must be living at or below poverty level ($1,679 monthly income for individuals or $3,446 for a family of four). Qualifying residents then receive a monthly voucher for fresh food from Chipain's, as well as a bag of non-perishable items from the pantries.

There are currently more than 100 families who qualify for assistance, according to Lemont Township officials.

During the summer months, the pantries struggle to keep up with demands, said Terri O'Neill-Borders, community and human services coordinator for Lemont Township.

"Poverty and hunger does not take a summer vacation," O'Neill-Borders said in an email. "In fact it is the hardest time for families because those that qualify for free or reduced lunches during the school year are left to supply food for the entire day while the kids are home on break."

For Quinn, organizing the concert is a way to give back to a community that has always served him well.

"I've been fortunate. I've never had to miss a meal, probably like most Lemont residents," Quinn said. "It's important to remember that there are people in town who need a hand."

NOTE: A rain date for the concert is planned for Aug. 10 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Concert Lineup

Suggested Food Donations

• Boxed meals
• Canned spaghetti, chili, Sloppy Joe's, etc.
• Canned and foil packages of meats (chicken, Vienna wieners, etc.)
• Ready-to-heat items
• Kids name-brand cereals
• Pancake mix and syrup
• Cake mix, brownie mix, cookie mix, flour, sugar, oil, frosting
• Cans or jars of fruit
• Boxes of raisins
• Snack cups (Jell-O, pudding, apple sauce)
• Snack bars
• Microwave popcorn
• Coffee and/or tea bags
• Salad dressing
• Condiments
• Spices
• Jars of cheese, salsa or spreads
• Toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, napkins
• Personal care items and cleaning products
• Baby food, formula, wipes and diapers
• Bottled water