Cedar Key Food Pantry will host a night of giving on Monday, Oct. 2, at the Black Prong Bar & Grill for its Cedar Key Disaster Relief Fund.  

The restaurant will donate 20% of the night’s sales, and Big Lick Gives Charity Committee has pledged to match all guest cash or check donations that evening, up to $10,000. 

The Black Prong Bar & Grill is located at 450 SE CR 337 in Bronson and will be open 5-10 p.m. with the kitchen closing at 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 352-283-8700 or visiting the website blackprong.com/barandgrill. 

While much of Cedar Key has been cleaned up since Hurricane Idalia swept through on Aug. 30, many residents are still dealing with damaged homes or have been unable to return to work. The storm made landfall about 50 miles north of Cedar Key, battering the Gulf coast with high winds, storm surge and flooding. 

“Life goes on and we start to forget, but the folks that don’t forget are the service workers that get hurt by this,” Heath Davis, Cedar Key mayor, said in a press release. “A ton of moms and dads bought clothes and school supplies for their kids on credit, looking forward to Labor Day weekend business that should have paid it off, but that business didn’t come. They haven’t been able to go back to work as we rebuild from damage, and those bills are still hitting.” 

The Cedar Key Food Pantry has stepped beyond providing food to lead the fundraising effort for the town’s Disaster Relief Fund. According to the release, funneling funds through the food pantry helps streamline the flow of money to the people who need it. 

“We are very resourceful and with these funds,” Sue Colson, Cedar Key Food Pantry director, said in a press release. “We’re also helping with damages to some of the low-income or disabled family homes, and with donations, we are able to do that right away, which makes a big difference.” 

The funds will also be used to help people who cannot work because their employers have closed their doors while they repair.