Blessings in a Back Pack Fundraiser Set for Oct. 7

Rancho Cordova, CA (MPG) - Blessings in a Backpack (BIAB) Rancho Cordova will be shaking things up this fall with a new partnership and fundraiser aimed at broadening the local chapter’s donor base as it also looks to expand its services to additional schools inside the district and out.

The Rancho Cordova Chapter of BIAB is partnering with the Sacramento Children’s Museum to co-produce “Rocktober in Rancho,” a ticketless fundraiser set for Saturday Oct. 7, with proceeds from sales for food, wine, beer and vendor shopping booths going to support the non-profit’s mission to provide weekend meals for at risk and underserved kids.

Rocktober will run from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rancho Cordova City Hall and, according to Janice Davis, the chapter’s co-founder and program coordinator, will replace the non-profit’s annual, “Girl’s Night Out” fall fundraiser, which has contributed to the raising of roughly $50,000 since the chapter’s inception three years ago, but excluded an important component of its donor base: Men.

“We took a look at the Girl’s Night Out event we were doing previously, and, although it was well-attended, we realized we were kind of just shooting ourselves in the foot by making it a women only event,” says Davis, who alongside her husband, Rickey, launched the BIAB Rancho Cordova Chapter in 2014.

Rocktober will be open to all and, in addition to live music from a popular Sacramento-based funk band, will include more than 75 vendors, food trucks, a wine and beer garden sponsored by Claimstake Brewing and Thin Line Brew Co., a Cappuccino Classic Car Club show, a giant bake sale produced by junior volunteers for BIAB, as well as a large kids’ play area offering free yoga and tae kwon do lessons, book readings, face painting, games and other demonstrations.

The Sacramento Children’s Museum in Rancho Cordova has partnered with BIAB Rancho Cordova to co-produce Rocktober.  The museum’s Executive Director, Sharon Stone Smith said linking the concept of learning with a non-profit supporting basic needs of children is a no-brainer.

“We think it’s a perfect partnership,” said Stone Smith. “We promote learning and exploring and creativity but we know that in order for those things to happen, kids need to begin with having a stable source of food and support at home. So Blessings is providing that critical piece of ensuring a kid can have the brain power he or she needs to want to keep learning and growing.”

This marks the fourth school year the BIAB chapter has been sending some 200 kids home on weekends with backpacks loaded with food.  Many of its recipients receive free or reduced meals at school each week, but often go without on weekends. BIAB strives to bridge the gap so that school children have access to food every day of the week.

“You would be surprised to learn how many school-aged kids go without access to regular meals on the weekends,” Davis said.

The Rancho Cordova chapter has adopted five elementary schools in the area as program participants including, Rancho Cordova, Cordova Villa, Williamson, White Rock and Cordova Meadows.  The chapter is preparing to add Cordova Gardens Peter J. Shields elementary schools to its list in the coming months and expanding outside the Rancho Cordova School District. 

“We are planning to extend to schools in our area but also to some in the Sacramento district, such as Lincoln Village,” said Davis. “But first we want to make sure we are taking good care of the schools we currently have in place, which is what our fundraisers are all about.”

Of particular need is a new location for a larger storage locker for all of the donated food items that come in to the non-profit via the community, whether through corporate donations or via community and individually sponsored food drives.

All proceeds from the Rocktober event will be split between the museum and BIAB Rancho Cordova, Davis said. Having the cachet of the museum, as well as its community connections, she added, are wildly beneficial.

“Partnering with the Children's Museum has opened doors for Blessings in a Backpack,” Davis said.  “They have contributed vendors, a mascot for our event, kid’s activities, and reached out to businesses via the Rancho Cordova Chamber, and the list goes on.  They truly have been partners with us in putting this together.”
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IF YOU GO:
ROCKTOBER IN RANCHO-a Benefit for Blessings in a Backpack, Rancho Cordova Chapter
Saturday, Oct. 7 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Rancho Cordova City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Dr.
Admission: Free
For vendor information, call (916) 213-5595
www.bibsac.org