The ‘90s came back in a big way this past weekend in a retro party that brought more than 600 people together to have fun and raise money for The Sharing Place.
Saturday's Back to ‘90s Video Dance Party raised $11,205 for the food bank, far surpassing the expectations of organizer Derick Lehmann.
“My goal was to sell 300 tickets, and we did just shy of 650, so it was a packed house,” he told OrilliaMatters. “It attracted right from the 19-year-olds because it was a 19-plus event, right up to people that are seniors (that) just wanted to come out and have a fun night with their friends.”
The event, featuring a concert sound system, strobe lights, and three 15-foot screens playing ‘90s hits at the Roller Skating Place at ODAS Park, saw people line up before the doors opened at 8 p.m., and continue to purchase tickets well after midnight – less than an hour before it finished.
A majority of attendees donned ‘90s outfits – whether hip hop, neon colour, or grunge-inspired – and the night turned out to be great time for all involved, on top of benefiting local organizations, Lehmann said.
“It's a big win, obviously, for the food bank. It's a win for ODAS Park, and it's got to be a win for the guests – they got to come and have a good time, and I haven't heard any negative feedback from the party,” he said.
Lehmann has previously organized events to benefit local organizations, such as the Ugly Christmas Sweater Bowling Party, but the ‘90s dance party is his most popular event to date, more than doubling the largest donation he has previously been able to make through community events.
He hopes to host a similar event, in some form, in the future.
“Some people are like, can we do the ‘80s? How about the ‘70s?” he said. “There's just so many possibilities, just trying to think about how we want to put it together, and I absolutely want to do it again next summer.”
Sharing Place executive director Chris Peacock said he struggles to remember a time where a community-organized event generated so much support for The Sharing Place.
“(Lehmann’s) a special man; he thinks a lot about Orillia and finding ways to help, if it's Trunk or Treat, if it's the ugly sweater bowling event over the holiday season, or if it's him saying that's not enough, let's do something even more, and he goes out and knocks it out of the park on his first-of-its-kind type of event,” Peacock told OrilliaMatters.
As the cost of living continues to climb, Peacock said the funds will directly support the Sharing Place’s food costs, expanded School Fuel program, and soon-to-be-complete new kitchen.
In June, the Sharing Place saw record numbers come through its doors, with 2,387 people accessing the food bank, including 111 individuals using it for the first time.
“Food insecurity is a 365-day problem. The demands for organizations are extremely high and getting higher each month, and we don't receive a ton of financial contributions throughout the summer months,” he said.
“Being able to have this event bring in some really important funds to help support our programs, that are only getting bigger and more expensive … it’s definitely appreciated.”
