Bret & Frisk, Others to Perform May 23 at FORK Fundraiser

Looking for something fun to do during this Safer At Home experience?

Feed Our Rural Kids Inc. (FORK)?is planning a virtual fundraiser on Facebook billed as “Bret & Frisk and Friends, A Concert for the Kids.”

“This concert will be broadcast from Eagle Waters Resort Saturday, May 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.,” explained Bret Miller of the popular local musical duo Bret & Frisk.

“Frisk and I, along with six of our musical friends, are going to host this Facebook party to raise money to aid FORK in their effort to address the needs of our food-insecure local kids,” added Bret Miller.

“You can join us for an evening of music by connecting to the concert on the Facebook pages of Feed Our Rural Kids, WRJO 94.5-FM or Bret and Frisk,” said Frisk Miller. “This is a chance to kick back and just watch or listen and make the best of this new kind of Memorial Day Weekend.

“Even more than that, it’s the chance to make a difference in the lives of children from food-insecure homes, which will really make you feel good,” continued Frisk Miller.

“The birth of the Bret & Frisk and Friends concert was painlessly accomplished in a handful of calls to some great people,” said FORK President Perry Pokdrandt. “Bret and Frisk were in before I could finish asking the question.”

Other individuals who will help make this event happen include Mike Wolf of WRJO Radio in Eagle River. Wolf will emcee the broadcast, helping Pok­randt and other FORK board members tell the story around food insecurity in area communities, and the projects and programs FORK has put in place to help the youths affected.

“Mike is a great voice within our community and FORK is excited that he will be there with us,” said Pokrandt.

Tomasoski Photography and Video of Eagle River  will lend technical expertise in making the broadcast of the highest visual quality possible.

“With professionals to carry the technical aspect of the broadcast, FORK is confident that the video experience the viewers will witness will be exceptional,” said Pokrandt. “The event will be recorded with a four-camera setup. We trust Dan Tomasoski’s experience to make ‘Bret & Frisk and Friends’ look good!”

“Finally, we needed a place for all these musicians to play. We needed a venue that offers enough space to keep everyone separate and safe,” explained Bret Miller. “All I needed to do was make a call to Laura Koranda of Eagle Waters and the stage was set for a great event.”

FORK was created to provide nutritional support to school-aged children from food-insecure homes within the Northland Pines School District. Currently, FORK is providing children just over 1,000 meals a week through their Meals Now program. The cost of the first phase of the pandemic support to the Northland Pines School District was $24,000.

“This fundraiser is to help Feed Our Rural Kids fund phase two of FORK’s pandemic support. Phase two will be a one-month extension of the Meals Now program through June at a cost of $8,000. It will also help raise the money for two months of the FORK Cares program with a cost of almost $13,000,” said Scott Foster, FORK vice president and Northland Pines district administrator. “This COVID-19 experience has been a challenge for the district to find ways to get children food and FORK has been with us every step of the way.”

Pokrandt said he is excited to be part of the fundraiser.

“As I said, this will be a one-of-a-kind Memorial Day weekend experience for both visitors and those of us who live here,” said Pokrandt. “As the governor says, ‘It’s Safer At Home.’ So join us for ‘Bret & Frisk and Friends: A Concert for the Kids.’ ”

Feed Our Rural Kids is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible under the new relaxed guidelines of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

Individuals wanting to contribute financially can visit feedourruralkids.org to contribute by credit or debit card or mail a check to FORK, 4887 Echo Ridge Drive, Eagle River, WI 54521.