Dare to Care
Each year at Slugger Field, more than 1,000 Kentuckiana neighbors gather for good community, great food and a wonderful charity. Planned in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby, this special evening is the Taste of Derby Festival, and proceeds go to feeding families in the region through Dare to Care.
“We host at least 1,400 people, and they’re able to go through and taste from all these different restaurants, all different kinds of food, all different kinds of drinks; it’s a really fun night,” says Andrea Shepherd, Dare to Care’s senior director of philanthropic partnerships.
“The Taste of Derby Festival has been going on for more than three decades,” Shepherd says. “It’s had lots of different iterations, but now we just call it the best way to launch Derby season, and it is, I think, the most fun tasting event we have in Louisville. We just get great feedback that people really enjoy the food, they enjoy supporting the cause in this way, and that this is a beautiful way to connect.”
Hosted at Slugger Field, the Taste of Derby Festival features restaurants and beverage companies offering tastings for visitors. Last year saw the largest turnout, with 107 vendors, and Dare to Care hopes to beat that number this year. About 1,200 tickets are available — and they sell out quickly.
“We will have incredible eats, incredible drinks; we’ll have more lounge areas that Watson’s of Louisville makes possible, we’ll have some fun photo areas, we’ll have lots of different activities, and I can promise that people will leave with a full belly and smile, having had a great time and knowing they’ve supported a great cause,” Shepherd says.
Dare to Care is more than a local organization — it’s a team of neighbors working consistently to end a rising crisis in Kentuckiana.
“We are the food bank that serves the Kentuckiana area — eight counties in the Louisville region, Jefferson County region, and then five counties in Southern Indiana. We were formed after the death of a 9-year-old boy in 1969 on Thanksgiving Eve,” Shepherd says. “His name was Bobby Ellis; he was 9 years old and weighed 30 pounds, and he died of malnutrition. That sparked a movement of the neighbors in this area coming together to make sure that never happens again.”
To do this work, Dare to Care partners with nonprofits; most nonprofits providing food to the community get most of those meals from this organization. Beyond that, Dare to Care also runs school pantries, prescription pantries, mobile pantries, cooking nutrition classes and Kids Cafes for hot meals after school.
“Food insecurity is everywhere,” Shepherd says. “It’s in every single ZIP code. No matter where you live, there’s food insecurity there. If you’ve got kids in school, check with the school and the resource officer there, and see what needs they might have, and encourage a food drive in the school, make a donation, or encourage others to donate. There are so many ways that people can make a big difference with just small steps.”
The need for Dare to Care is growing in the community. Shepherd notes that “the food insecurity rate increased 48% over two years. We are seeing a growing need among our neighbors.” Currently, the organization provides about 22 million meals yearly.
“We are here with a goal of making sure that everyone is nourished — because nobody should go without food,” she says.
The situation is painful, but it has also revealed just how willing the Kentuckiana community is to support its own.
“It’s just so lovely to see the community come together and have such positive attitudes and enjoy a night together and make a difference for this community. This event makes hundreds of thousands of meals possible for kids and families, and so it’s important for us as an organization to make meals possible, because they need it now more than ever. At the same time, it’s such a lovely way for people to learn about Dare to Care, and hopefully stay connected with us,” Shepherd says.
At the end of the festival, Dare to Care, in partnership with Feed Louisville, takes that food back, makes it servable and shares it with the community. Even in the midst of fundraising, the organization’s most basic cause is not forgotten.
“There are hungry people in our neighborhoods, and we need to show them love and support them, because no one should go hungry,” Shepherd says.
Even those who cannot attend the Taste of Derby Festival this year can still make an impact. Shepherd encourages community members to look at which restaurants participate and then support them.
“Eat at those restaurants, buy those products and thank them for being supporters … because these vendors are all donating everything. It’s pretty incredible,” Shepherd says.
Dare to Care also accepts volunteers — both generally and for the evening of the festival.
Ultimately, the Taste of Derby Festival is both an act of service and a way to get more connected with the Kentuckiana community.
“Dare to Care exists because this community cares that nobody goes hungry, and this event is a really critical fundraiser for Dare to Care, so I would encourage people to find a way to make a difference in this community when it comes to food insecurity. Know that we always have an open door with our events, with volunteering, with food and fund drives, and with getting involved. It takes all of us, and we can all do something to make a difference for our neighbors,” Shepherd says.
And perhaps this year, making a difference looks like a special night at the Taste of Derby Festival.
This year, the Dare to Care Taste of Derby Festival will be Tuesday, April 21, from 5:30-8 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field. For more information, including how to buy tickets, volunteer, donate or get your business involved, visit daretocare.org.
