Robin’s Home festival grows in size and impact
LYNDORA — Upon entering the parking lot of American Legion Post 778 on Saturday, June 1, the faint sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone” traveled through the air mixed with a wafting aroma of fried food.
It was an hour before the second annual Food Truck and Rock Fest began and swarms of people, ranging from bikers to small children were making their way to the all-day rock festival fundraiser. Food trucks surrounded the perimeter and several booths and activities ranging from cornhole to hula-hooping clowns on stilts filled the area.
For Marine veteran and biker Tyler Kirper, of Allegheny County, who looked every bit the part, the food and rock fest was the perfect way to spend a sunny Saturday.
“This is a (great) cause and it’s going to be a (very) good time,” Kirper said, only with more colorful language.
In honor of the upcoming Women Veterans Day on June 12, the festival looked to not only raise awareness for the challenges women veterans face, but also raise funds to support the number of programs Robin’s Home provides to all veterans throughout Western Pennsylvania.
“We’re pretty excited for this year,” said Ev Searle, the board president and marketing and fundraising coordinator. “We feel like we were able to get the word out to all veterans this year.”
Searle said she estimated this year’s attendance more than doubled last year’s.
The event featured not only a variety of food truck options but also live music from six bands, a flag-raising ceremony performed by Butler JROTC students, a cornhole tournament, face painting, fortune telling, a recreational vehicle giveaway and rows of local vendors who pledged a portion of their proceeds to Robin’s Home.
One vendor, Army veteran David Champion, of Slippery Rock, was selling his chain saw crafted log carvings. The owner of Champsaw Art said he was thrilled to be part of the fundraising event and appreciated the tenacity of Robin’s Home when it comes to addressing issues veterans face.
“This event is something that people should support,” Champion said. “Veterans are such a specific and underserved population that deserve our attention.”
David and Jennifer Huffman, of New Castle, said they were checking local yard sales when they decided to see what the festival was all about.
“It’s a nice little setup,” David Huffman said. “It’s for a great cause obviously,”
Jennifer also said she really enjoyed spending her afternoon exploring the festival and helping a worthy cause. She and her husband took part in the cornhole tournament and played a round at the mini-golf station, but she really had her eye on a particular prize.
“We put our names in for the camper,” Jennifer Huffman said.
Mary Chitwood, executive director for the organization, said one of her goals for this year’s event was to make people aware of all the services Robin’s Home provides.
In March, the group opened the Veterans H.E.A.R.T. Resource Center on North Main Street in Butler. The Robin’s Home organization started in 2019 as a supportive housing program for woman veterans.
Chitwood said she was astonished by the number of people who came on Saturday and expressed appreciation for the volunteers on Saturday.
“We had over 30 volunteers help us out this year,” Chitwood said. “They have all been absolutely wonderful.”
