Rev. Paul deJong, minister of First Presbyterian Church, with A Midsummer Night’s Sing Organizer Sam Galloway Jr. Attendees contributed more than 4,000 pounds of canned goods last year. Photo provided

Residents can help feed the hungry and give hope to the needy while enjoying an evening of music and fellowship at the 14th Annual A Midsummer Night’s Sing, presented by First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers and sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships.

The event, which attracts Lehigh Acres residents, is planned for Tuesday, July 26, at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fort Myers. It will be a 90-minute performance of hymns, instrumentalists, and special guests beginning at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is free, although voluntary cash donations and cans of non-perishable food will be accepted to benefit The Soup Kitchen of Community Cooperative Ministries (CCMI).

First Presbyterian’s pastor, Rev. Paul deJong, is urging the community to help with canned goods and cash donations to help those in need.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we desperately need your help. The need for food continues to be absolutely critical. Please love your fellow neighbor and attempt to do what God would do and want you to do,” the minister said.

Organizer Sam Galloway Jr. said cash donations are especially needed because The Soup Kitchen can buy five times as much food for the same amount of money that residents spend at local grocery stores.

“We can take every dollar and make it stretch as far as is humanly possible,” he said.

Galloway, who has made feeding the hungry part of his life’s work, has arranged for refrigerated trucks to take the food to the neighborhoods that most need help this summer.

“High unemployment and our poor economy have caused many of our neighbors to ask for food to feed their families for the first time in their lives. Our director has told me, ‘Sam, I cannot tell you who, but people are coming for groceries whom you and I know.’ We can’t allow our neighbors and friends to be hungry. Please – we need our community to get together and help with all the canned goods they can. We need to raise the roof with money and food, please.” Galloway said.

Galloway annually sponsors the popular Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing as part of the Edison Festival of Light in February. Because more than 4,000 people attend Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing in the winter, organizers planned A Midsummer Night’s Sing to allow more local residents to enjoy the same type of activity during the less crowded summer months.

The First Presbyterian Chancel Choir and friends will be featured during the evening, which will include sing-a-longs of well-known hymns everybody knows.

“Please try to bring whatever cash donation you can and at least two cans of non-perishable food And, if you’re among those impacted by our poor economy, come anyway and have a good time,” Galloway and Rev. deJong said.

A Midsummer Night’s Sing is the second of three hymn sings sponsored annually by the Galloway Family of Dealerships. The other two are Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing in February and the very popular Holiday Carol Sing in December. All three events benefit The Soup Kitchen of CCMI, which was started by First Presbyterian Church in 1984 to help alleviate hunger and suffering in Lee County.

First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers is located at 2438 Second St., in downtown Fort Myers. For more information, call 334-2261 or visit www.fpcfortmyers.org.