The 8th annual Bluegrass Battles Hunger to support hunger relief efforts takes place this weekend in St. Joseph.

The event Friday and Saturday will support Second Harvest Community Food Bank which serves northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas.

Chad Higdon with Second Harvest says 51,000 individuals in the 19 county area that Second Harvest serves are identified as food insecure.

“That’s about one in seven individuals and… it’s about one in five children, so families with young children are actually really hurting a little more than others,” Higdon said. “I think it’s events like this and opportunities for us to make sure that we don’t forget about how families are out there and could use our help. So for us that have organized this, to be able to put together something that is really enjoyable and a benefit for our community but to do it for a cause is really something that we believe in and are excited about anytime we get together and start planning for this event.”

The Bluegrass Battles Hunger event is free and open to the public. Those who attend are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items or cash donations for Second Harvest. Higdon said the donations help the approximately 100 agencies Second Harvest works with in the area, including Backpack Buddies, a summer feeding program and USDA commodities for Missouri and Kansas.

Higdon said last year Second Harvest distributed about 5.6 million pounds of food and 653 pounds of that, along with $3,000, was donated at last year’s Bluegrass Battles Hunger event.

Bluegrass Battles Hunger kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday at Coleman Hawkins Park in downtown St. Joseph.

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