City of Kentwood to Host Annual Fall Disc Golf Tournament and Food Drive
Canned Food Donations at Fall Fling Will Restock Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry
The City of Kentwood and Great Lakes Disc again have partnered to offer the annual Fall Fling, a doubles disc golf tournament and food drive set for Saturday, Nov. 14.
Community disc golfers of all skill levels are invited to participate in the event at Old Farm Park, 2350 Embro Drive SE. Participants will be required to wear a face covering and maintain physical distancing throughout the event as part of COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.
On-site registration will begin at 9 a.m. Pre-registration is encouraged online at kentwood.us/fallflingdiscgolf. The cost is $40 per team, plus one canned food donation for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.
Players will meet at 9:45 a.m. to begin the first round of the “best shot” doubles tournament. Patty Matters food truck will be on-site with food available for purchase.
“Fall Fling is a wonderful event for our community to come together to play disc golf for a great cause,” said Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director. “This tournament has restocked our community pantry with dozens of canned goods each year. We are grateful to local disc golfers for their ongoing generosity and participation.”
The Kentwood Little Free Pantry initiative began in 2017 as a community service project in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The small food pantry is open year-round and designed to fill an immediate and local need. It offers non-perishable food and personal care items to anyone in need.
“When I first heard about the Little Free Pantry, I knew I wanted to find a way Great Lakes Disc could support it,” said Shea Abbgy, owner of Great Lakes Disc. “The Old Farm Fall Fling was what we came up with to connect the disc golf community with the Pantry.”
The demand for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Long before COVID-19, the demand for our pantry goods was growing steadily and the shelves were becoming empty on a weekly basis,” Romeo said. “We continue to need year-round support from individuals and organizations who are able to give financially or provide tangible donations, such as prepackaged non-perishable food and personal hygiene items.”
Located at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Anyone can utilize or donate to the pantry. No application is required and no questions are asked.
Those who want to donate food items to the pantry are reminded to check the expiration date on them. More information about the pantry, including a suggested list of donations, is available kentwood.us/littlefreepantry.