River and Blues Music festival draws crowd for a cause

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River and Blues Music festival draws crowd for a cause
By Chris Umpierre
News-press.com

andon Bennett, 40, knows about being homeless. He knows how difficult life can be when you don't know where your next meal is coming from.
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"I know because I've been homeless. I lived on the streets for years until I was able to change my life," said Bennett, who started an auto detailing shop in Cape Coral a year ago.

"So when I look around this park and see all these people coming together to help people in need, it gives me chills because so many people need help."

Bennett was one of about 2,000 who attended Sunday's 17th annual Fort Myers River and Blues Fest at Centennial Park. All of the event's proceeds benefited Community Cooperative Ministries Inc., which battles hunger and homelessness in Lee County.

"People are having a great time eating and listening to music, but at the same time they're doing something good," CCMI spokeswoman Sarah Owen said. "It's neat to see the community band together to fight this problem."

There are about 3,000 homeless men, women and children in Lee County, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census.

The Fort Myers River and Blues Fest gives its proceeds to a different organization each year, and this was the first time CCMI received money.

Owen wasn't sure how much money her organization would receive, but she did say that CCMI serves about 5,000 families a year through myriad programs, which include a Fort Myers soup kitchen and a Meals on Wheels division.

"We're serving more and more people each year," Owen said. "Families are the new hungry. We're getting people come to us who have never asked for help before. A lot of that is because of the economy."

Cape Coral's Cindy Hannah said she came to Sunday's event for the music and the cause.

Hannah was dancing to a song from the Mambo Brothers toward the end of the festivities.

"With music like this, you gotta move," Hannah said. "You can't stand still."

Hannah said she owns several Mambo Brothers CD's. She also a big fan of Deb & The Dynamics, who also played at Sunday's event.

The other participating bands were Certified, Danny Sheppard and The Juice.

The majority of attendees chilled on lawn chairs as the bands jammed on stage. Others such as Jim and Cindy Hannah danced near the stage.

"You can't beat this," Jim Hannah said. "You've got the Caloosahatchee River behind the band and perfect weather. It's just a perfect setting."

Bennett said the event had a perfect cause, too.

"I've been to (CCMI's) soup kitchen and they do a great job, so I know that each dollar they get is going to be very well spent," Bennett said.