Pastor Doug Ogden of Lebanon Lutheran Church in Whitehall accepts an $1,800 check from Ann Nessa, Community Service director for the Montague-Whitehall Rotary Club. The funds are for the White Lake Food Pantry at Lebanon. Pastor Ogden spoke about the food

That food pantry is also in need of funds to keep the non-profit ministry going.

The public has a unique opportunity to help fund the food pantry by attending the “Pony Up!” musical event at the Howmet Playhouse in downtown Whitehall on Saturday, March 16.

Proceeds from the 7:30-9:30 p.m. concert will help the Food Pantry meet a $10,000 matching challenge from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

Thrivent will pay 50 cents for every $1 raised until March 31 up to $5,000. That means the Food Pantry must raise $10,000 to get the full challenge grant.

And, as of last Tuesday, the good news is Pastor Doug Ogden of Lebanon Lutheran Church reported nearly $7,500 had been raised during a talk before the noon luncheon of the Montague-Whitehall Rotary Club. At that luncheon held at the White Lake Eagles, the Rotary presented Ogden with a $1,800 check toward the challenge grant.

The March 16 concert will feature top local musical talent, including Mike Snell, a Whitehall High School science teacher who has recorded music in Nashville, Monica Ogden who often performs with Snell, local musician Tom Foster and The Edukators, a group of Whitehall teachers.