“Soul Funk” Dance for the Food Bank

Orcas Island resident, Bruce Pavitt, is a professional dj and founder of Seattle’s Sub Pop record label; a true music fan, who finds and plays the gems of every era and genre.

Saturday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Odd Fellows Hall

By Madie Murray

The  Odd Fellows describe themselves as a brotherhood of guys who work together to do good in the community. You’ve probably seen them helping out by directing traffic at special events and volunteering at fundraisers.

At a recent meeting of the Odd Fellows, they were talking about how they had seen a shift in the community to greater needs. They wanted to find a way to gift food items to the Orcas Island Food Bank and the idea of holding a benefit dance took hold, “as a way to distribute our wealth to help other people,” says Ezekiel Barr, an 11-year member of Odd Fellows and dance organizer.

When they mentioned this to the Oddesses, a group of women who meet at the Odd Fellows Hall, they said “we’d love to dance to the old songs we all know and love from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.”  And who better could bring those songs to the party than the incomparable Bruce Pavitt.

They coined the music “Soul Funk” based on Soul Funk and Rock ‘n’ Roll music, and this dance of all dances will be held on Saturday, January 21 at Odd Fellows Hall from 8 to 11 p.m.  Admission is $5 or 4 or more cans of food – all being donated to the Food Bank.

“The Food Bank is one of the most important non-profits on our Island in regards to being able to keep food on the table for so many Island families trying to make it through these hard times,” says Ezekiel.  For example, the Food Bank was able to provide Christmas and Thanksgiving meals to a total of 260 families this year which included turkeys and all the fixins, and it consistently provides grocery items to anyone who asks twice a week at the new building on Madrona Street.

So on January 21, grab your dancing shoes, scoop up at least four cans of food, get to the Odd Fellows Hall and be ready to dance your heart out.