Newton, NC – The Backpack Program of Catawba County, a program of The Corner Table Soup Kitchen, will be hosting their 2nd annual Standup to Hunger fundraising event on April 1st. Standup to Hunger is a comedy competition between ten local citizens competing for $1,500 in cash prizes.
The inaugural event raised over $16,000 in 2019 with a sold-out crowd of more than 300 attendees. Standup to Hunger was established as an annual signature event to be hosted on April Fool’s Day for the Backpack Program to continue to serve over 1,300 children each week of the school year. The new event was to assist with the transition of the Backpack Program from Catawba County DSS to The Corner Table. In 2019, the comedy event provided the necessary funding to continue the mission of the program without interruption despite the changes in support happening mid-school year.
This year the Standup to Hunger comedy event will be hosted by Wayneo’s Silver Bullet in Mountain View of Hickory, a remarkable and unique venue. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. followed by a delicious barbeque meal provided by Lowes Food and served by the Zion Lutheran Church Men’s Ministry alongside desserts provided by Service League of Hickory from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The PG comedy competition will begin after dinner. Master of Ceremonies will be comedian JD Colwell. Tickets are $35 each and include dinner and the show.
The event is anticipated to sell out of all 300 seats quickly so those interested are encouraged to purchase tickets quickly via phone (828)464-0355 or in person at the following locations and times: The Corner Table Soup Kitchen in Newton Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Select Tech Inc in Hickory Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Backpack Program Warehouse in Hickory Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or HomeSliced Eatery in Conover Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday 9 a.m. to 1p.m.
To learn more about Standup to Hunger, visit www.thecornertable.org. Sponsorship opportunities are still available as well. To donate to Backpack Program, mail a check made payable to Backpack Program to PO Box 1051 Newton, NC 28658.
The program is proud to have had the support of countless businesses and churches that serve as sponsors for children receiving food. Many children would go without food and the program’s county-wide impact would be far less without the combined effort of various annual events hosted by organizations like Hickory Elks Lodge, Catawba Valley REALtors Association, Frye Medical Center, Hickory Jaycees, and many others. It takes the combined efforts of both internal and external fundraising to make the Backpack Program mission a reality. For more information about how to get involved call (828)464-0355 or email Program Coordinator, Amanda Freeland at [email protected].