FORT MYERS, FLA., January14, 2020– Gaither Homecoming Soloist and Grammy Award winner Larry Ford will make a special guest appearance at the 31st Annual Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships.
Celebrate the Edison Festival of Light and help feed the hungry by attending Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing Tuesday, Feb. 11, at The First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fort Myers at the corner of Second Street and Lee Street.
Because of the overwhelming popularity of the event, three performances are planned at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The doors will open 30 minutes prior to each performance.
Admission is free, but because of the increased need for food for the hungry, organizers are requesting that those who attend bring cans of non-perishable food and a voluntary cash donation, if possible, to benefit The Soup Kitchen of Community Cooperative.
“We need to help The Soup Kitchen by donating as much canned goods and cash as we can to help families who most need it in our community,” said Sam Galloway, Jr., founder of Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing. “We are honored that Larry Ford has agreed to perform at this year’s event to support our mission of feeding the hungry.”
Ford is a featured soloist on the Gaither Homecoming DVD series, which consistently ranks in the top of Billboard Magazine’s music charts. The tenor was awarded a Grammy for Best Southern Gospel Recording in 2003.
Community Cooperative provides 15,000 meals each month through its Community Cafes and Meals on Wheels programs, distributes more than 500,000 pounds of groceries through its Mobile Food Pantries, and serves 6,500 individuals and their families with homeless and comprehensive case management services through its Social & Education Resource Centers. A proud United Way partner, Community Cooperative serves Fort Myers and the greater Lee County area, including Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres and Fort Myers Beach.
The church has been a strong supporter of the agency from the beginning and continues to support its ministry there by providing volunteers and other support for The Soup Kitchen and the Meals on Wheels program.
Galloway, who originated the hymn sing in 1989, said he wanted to do something to honor Mrs. Mina Edison during the Edison Festival celebration.
“We hear a great deal about the wonderful work of Thomas Alva Edison, but we don’t do a lot to honor his wife who also volunteered a great deal of her time and talent to making Fort Myers what it is today. This hymn sing is a way to honor her good work too,” Galloway said.
This year’s event will feature the First Presbyterian Sanctuary Choir and many other singers, including members of the Mastersingers, Guest Soloists, along with a Piano-Organ Combination.
In addition to Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing, the Galloway Family of Dealerships also sponsors the very popular Christmas Carol Sing in December. Both events benefit The Soup Kitchen of Community Cooperative.
For more information or directions to the church, call 334-2261 or visit www.fpcfortmyers.org. For more information about Community Cooperative, call (239) 332-SOUP or visit www.communitycooperative.com.
About Community Cooperative
Community Cooperative is an innovative nonprofit organization made up of social service entrepreneurs fighting to end homelessness and hunger in our community. It provides more than 15,000 meals each month through its Community Cafés and Meals on Wheels programs, distributes more than 500,000 pounds of groceries through its Mobile Food Pantries, and serves 6,500 individuals and families with homeless and comprehensive case management services through its Social & Education Resource Centers. A proud United Way partner, Community Cooperative serves Fort Myers and the greater Lee County area, including Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres and Fort Myers Beach.
About First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers
First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers, located at 2438 Second St. in downtown Fort Myers, is a community of faith, celebrating a loving God. First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1901 and continues to be an integral part of Lee County by presenting some of the area’s most well-attended events, such as Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing in February as part of the Edison Festival of and the Christmas Carol Sing in December. Both events benefit The Soup Kitchen of Community Cooperative, which also was founded by First Presbyterian Church and other downtown churches in 1984. Services are offered Sundays at 11 a.m. with Sunday Adult Education from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. A nursery is available from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Hearing assistive equipment also is available.