The coronavirus pandemic has wiped most of the 2020 calendar clean, forcing the cancelation of beloved annual events.
Among the cancelations with a huge impact on the community: April’s Forks & Corks, a long-running fundraiser for Harvesters, which feeds hungry people across Kansas City.
Julia Hansen-Patterson, events organizer for the group, had hoped to reschedule the event, which in recent years has drawn about two-thousand people to Arrowhead Stadium.
Ultimately, Harvesters had to cancel the in-person event both because it’s not appropriate to get people together in large numbers and because “it’s just such a crazy time for restaurants.”
Instead, Harvesters has pivoted the event to an online food fest that they hope will help both the hungry in our community and the loyal local restaurants that have helped at the event over the years, and now face dire times of their own. The new event is called Forks on Friday and it’s tomorrow, August 6.
Here’s how it works: You support one of the local eateries on the Harvesters site and then upload a receipt or picture of yourself eating there. Four winners will be drawn randomly and will receive prizes including an expenses-paid trip to Vegas.
Harvesters’ sponsors have continued to donate to the group, which has given out a staggering 25 million pounds of food during the pandemic across twenty-six counties in the Kansas City region, from Topeka to St. Joseph.
The restaurants participating keep their proceeds—which are much needed during this time.
“We’ve got a lot of great support throughout the pandemic already so it’s a way for us to say ‘thanks,'” says Hansen-Patterson. “Some people have asked us, ‘What’s in it for you?’ “It’s our way to say ‘You stuck with us for twenty-four years now it’s our turn to say thank you to you.”
Harvesters is also hoping a few folks who participate take the opportunity to make a donation to the group.
“We are just so thankful for all the support from Kansas City,” says. “We are serving a larger number of people now and we don’t think that will end anytime soon.”
A list of participating restaurants is below, and current as of Thursday afternoon.
Multiple Locations
Meshuggah Bagels
The Roasterie
Downtown/Crossroads
A la CARTE
Bizz and Weezys Confections
Boulevard Brewing Company
Dott Boss
KC Wineworks
Lidia’s
Mission Taco Joint
Ollie’s Local
Succotash
Tannin Wine Bar
The Homesteader Cafe
Torn Label Brewing Company
Johnson & Wyandotte County
After Party Sweet Shop/Cotton Tail KC
Another Broken Egg Cafe
Brew Lab
Kansas City Cupcake Co Cafe
KC Pretzel Boys
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Pinstripes
Plowboys Barbeque
Shake Shack
Silo Modern Farmhouse
Tea-Biotics Kombucha
Northland
Callsign Brewing Company
Chappell’s Restaurant & Sports Museum
Cinder Block Brewery
Gordon Ramsay Steak Kansas City
Plaza/Westport/Midtown
Aladdin Cafe
André’s Confiserie Suisse
Char Bar
Donutology
Green Room Burgers & Beer
JJ’s Restaurant
Mickey’s Hideaway
Rudy’s Tenampa Taqueria
The Capital Grille
The Fontaine Hotel
The Funnel Cake Truck
True Food Kitchen
South KC/Lee’s Summit/Raytown
Crane Brewing
Waldo Pizza Lee’s Summit
Topeka
Glacier’s Edge Winery & Vineyard
Iron Rail Brewing
The White Linen
Waldo/Brookside/Ward Parkway
Betty Rae’s Ice Cream
KC Bier Company
Plate Italiano Moderno
Smitty’s Garage Ward Parkway
Waldo Pizza
West Bottoms/River Market
Amigoni Urban Winery
Betty Rae’s Ice Cream
Holladay Distillery/360 Vodka
KC Pinoy
Weston/Mid-Missouri and Beyond
Baltimore Bend Vineyard
Green Dirt Farm Creamery
Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery
Les Bourgeois Vineyards
Public House Brewing Company
Riverwood Winery
Shatto Milk Company
St. James Winery
Stone Hill Winery
Sugar Whipped Bakery
