Tickets on sale for 11th annual Pack the Sack fundraiser for Blessings in a Backpack

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Tickets are on sale for an annual fundraiser benefitting the Louisville chapter of Blessings in a Backpack.

The 11th annual Pack the Sack fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, from 5-9 p.m. at The Olmsted, raising money for Jefferson County Public Schools students.

Blessings in a Backpack provides bags of food for students who depend on school meals and may otherwise go hungry over the weekend.

Organizers said the need is "more real and immediate than ever" this year.

"Weekend hunger affects nearly 80,000 local students, and the funds raised at this event directly help us put food in their hands when they need it most," Kim Holsclaw, managing director of Blessing in a Backpack's Louisville chapter, said in a news release.

The Pack the Sack event features local chefs James Moran, executive chef of Bob's Steak & Chop House; Dallas McGarity, chef and owner of The Fat Lamb; and Jackie Joseph of JJ Bakes & Co.

Guests will be able to "mix and mingle with" the chefs, bid on live and silent auctions, and take part in fundraising games such as a bourbon pull, golden paddle, heads or tails and a wheel of chance. There will also be an open bar with craft cocktails and craft beer from Atrium Brewing.

The goal is to raise $165,000 through ticket sales, sponsorships and auction purchases. Organizers said early-bird tickets can be purchased through Jan. 4 for $175, which will feed one child every weekend for a whole year. Tickets for a table of 10 can be purchased for $1,750.

To learn more, purchase tickets or sign up to become a sponsor, click here.

Multi-year project on Highway 44 in Bullitt County will be a 'nightmare,' drivers say

CRAWFORD | Good Will Hunting: Stein steps forward to crack the Kentucky football code

'Go to war' | Parents push back as JCPS discusses plan to close or consolidate schools