ST. PETERSBURG — People turned out at Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill on Central Avenue for some music and games, a drawing and a silent auction Thursday evening to raise money and collect food for the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.
Kobie Marketing of downtown St. Petersburg hosted the Stomp Out Starving event.
The goal was to collect 28,000 pounds of food for the 44-year-old clinic, which feeds about 40,000 people a month — in addition to providing financial, medical and housing assistance for the poor, including the working poor and homeless people.
Kobie employees have been collecting food and money for the Free Clinic since 2008, taking in 10,000 pounds last year, but decided to open the effort to the public, publicist and employee Jennifer James said.
“We said, ‘Why keep this to ourselves?’ We can really be a voice for the St. Pete Free Clinic in our community,” James said. “It’s a fun way for us to get involved and meet others in our community.”
James said Kobie employees decided to stage the carnival after their success this year in holding a public fundraiser downtown for the Guardian ad Litem program, which drew more than 100 people.
“We’re proud to help local organizations like the SPFC however we can,” Kobie President Michael Hemsey said.
