Pittsburgh Blues Festival works wonders for local food bank

PITTSBURGH — The support of volunteers and donors has kept the Pittsburgh Blues Festival going strong into its 19^th year.

The festival, which is the largest fundraiser for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, raised nearly $2 million dollars over the previous 18 years to fight local hunger, according to the event's website. Last year alone, the food bank brought in 17,000 pounds of food through the event.

Opening day of the festival, July 19, was free admission with a bag of nonperishable groceries to donate to the food bank.

Many of the volunteers who work the event, such as John Hermes, have worked the event continuously for the better part of the last two decades.

Hermes, who runs the main stage, has been working the event for 18 years. He takes care of the equipment and bands as well as working with the sound technicians, and he has only good memories from the festivals past.

“This is a great event for a great cause and that’s why I volunteer; it keeps bringing me back year after year,” Hermes said. I’ve been volunteering since we’ve been at Station Square, then when we moved to Iron City, and now we have this venue out here, which is just absolutely perfect.”

The event has grown by leaps and bounds every year, Hermes said.

“From our beginnings to now, where we can pack thousands of people in this place, it’s been interesting to watch grow up," Hermes said.

Working the event since its inception, Ron “Moondog” Esser said he recalls when the idea of the event first got started.

“Somebody came up with the idea, and my old friend Phil Harris said they were working with another guy who owned a club and he seemed to lose interest in the idea,” Esser said. “He then asked for my help and I said sure. So, that’s how it really started.”

Esser said the first festival, which was held at the Riverplex near Sandcastle, was almost a total failure. Yet, the people involved kept on pushing forward.

“From there to the old IC Light Amphitheatre, then the Pittsburgh Brewing Company, and then eventually, I want to say seven or eight years ago, we found our home at Hartwood,” Esser said. “And we’re not willing to give that up for anything right now. It’s absolutely the best venue.”

The volunteers really enjoy and get into the spirit of the event, Esser said. He added that there are more people than one would think who have come out to the event every year since it started.

The music is a big attraction, and Hermes is intrigued to see Eric Lindell and Tab Benoit perform at this year’s event. He also recalls when big acts such as Johnny Winter and Brian Setzer performed during the festival.

Esser is looking forward to the up-and-coming acts performing this year, such as the Slide Brothers, Big Sam’s Funky Nation and J.D. McPherson

Many of the performances have the CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank Lisa Scales excited as well, but what has her most excited is greeting all of the food bank’s volunteers, donors, fans and supporters.

“This is our give back to the community for serving Pittsburgh’s community food bank and it’s my honor to do that,” Scales said.

With the festival being the organizations most successful special event, Scales, who has been with the food bank for 17 years and is nearing her one year anniversary as CEO, said it’s a blessing to have such great support.

“We’re expecting to generate 1 million meals for kids at this year’s festival,” Scales said. “The event has grown tremendously. This year and is going to be our biggest and best. Our attendance has risen, our sponsorships have increased, and the music has been tremendous.”

That attendance has been what makes the event so special to Scales.

“The music is great obviously but just the way the community comes out and supports it, that’s really what makes this special,” Scales said. “It’s what makes Pittsburgh special as well.”

WPXI