Kentwood Fall Fling - WKTV Journal

Action from 2020’s City of Kentwood Freeze Fest disc golf tournament, and pantry food drive — the weather is expected to be better this year, but … (City of Kentwood)

By WKTV Staff

Rain or shine, cool or downright wintery, the City of Kentwood and Great Lakes Disc will again partner to offer the annual Fall Fling, a disc golf tournament and food drive set for Saturday, Nov. 13.

Community disc golfers of all skill levels are invited to bring a partner for a best-shot doubles tournament at Old Farm Park, 2350 Embro Drive SE. Each participant will receive a player package at check-in with opportunities for extra prizes during the event.

On-site registration will begin at 9 a.m, but pre-registration is encouraged online at kentwood.us/FallFlingDiscGolf. The cost is $40 per team plus one canned food donation for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.

A disc golf player in action from the 2019 Fall Fling event. (City of Kentwood)

“Our Fall Fling has become a popular event for disc golfers to continue playing during the fall season and join together to support a good cause,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied material. “Our disc golf tournaments with Great Lakes Disc have helped restock Kentwood’s Little Free pantry with dozens of canned goods again and again. We are very grateful to the local disc golf community for its continued generosity and participation.”

Players will meet at 9:45 a.m. to begin the first round of the tournament.

Patty Matters food truck will be on-site with a variety of gourmet burgers, fries and dessert and soda options available for purchase.

“It’s always great to be involved with the community,” Shea Abbgy, owner of Great Lakes Disc, said in supplied material. “Old Farm Park has served as a meeting place for friends and family for many years. This event is a great way for us that have some to give to give back to those in need.”

The Kentwood Little Free Pantry initiative began in 2017 as a community service project in honor of Martin Luther King Jr, according to supplied material. The small food pantry is open to all community members year-round and is designed to fill an immediate and local need. It offers non-perishable food and personal care items. Anyone can utilize or donate to the pantry. No application is required and no questions are asked.

The demand for Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry has steadily increased since its opening at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE — and even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help meet the growing need, the City of Kentwood launched another Little Free Pantry this year at the Kent District Library – Kentwood (Richard L. Root) Branch, 4950 Breton Ave. SE.

More information about the pantry, including hours and a suggested list of donations, is available at kentwood.us/Little F reePantry.

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The City of Kentwood announced this week that the city and Great Lakes Disc will again partner to offer the annual Fall Fling, a doubles disc golf tournament and food drive on Saturday, Nov. 14. Canned food donations at Fall Fling will restock Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry.

Community disc golfers of all skill levels are invited to participate in the event at Old Farm Park, 2350 Embro Drive SE. Participants will be required to wear a face covering and maintain physical distancing throughout the event as part of COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.

On-site registration will begin at 9 a.m. Pre-registration is available online at kentwood.us/fallflingdiscgolf. The cost is $40 per team, plus one canned food donation for the Little Free Pantry. Players will meet at 9:45 a.m. to begin the first round of the “best shot” doubles tournament. Patty Matters food truck will be on-site with food available for purchase.

“Fall Fling is a wonderful event for our community to come together to play disc golf for a great cause,” Val Romeo, Kentwood Parks and Recreation director, said in supplied material. “This tournament has restocked our community pantry with dozens of canned goods each year. We are grateful to local disc golfers for their ongoing generosity and participation.”

The City of Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is in the Kentwood Activities Center. (City of Kentwood)

The Kentwood Little Free Pantry initiative began in 2017 as a community service project in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. The small food pantry is open year-round and designed to fill an immediate and local need. It offers non-perishable food and personal care items to anyone in need.

Great Lakes Disc is a big supporter of the pantry.

“When I first heard about the Little Free Pantry, I knew I wanted to find a way Great Lakes Disc could support it,” Shea Abbgy, owner of Great Lakes Disc, said in supplied material. “The Old Farm Fall Fling was what we came up with to connect the disc golf community with the Pantry.”

The demand for the Little Free Pantry has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the city announcement.

“Long before COVID-19, the demand for our pantry goods was growing steadily and the shelves were becoming empty on a weekly basis,” Romeo said. “We continue to need year-round support from individuals and organizations who are able to give financially or provide tangible donations, such as prepackaged non-perishable food and personal hygiene items.”

Located at the Kentwood Activities Center, 355 48th St. SE, Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Anyone can utilize or donate to the pantry. No application is required and no questions are asked.

Those who want to donate food items to the pantry are reminded to check the expiration date on them.

For more information about the pantry, including a suggested list of donations, visit kentwood.us/littlefreepantry.