Community & Alumni Blog
Concert raises $30,000 for building projects in Guatemala
Amazing music, great weather, fun people and overwhelming generosity characterized the second-ever River Fest fundraiser.
Organized by former Outtatown staffers Ruth and Foort Bruinooge along with their friends Ingrid and Martin Enns, Luke and Ang Enns, and Jake and Brittany Enns, along with the help of many family and friends, the September 3 concert raised more than $30,000 for home building projects in Guatemala.
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The weather was perfect for River Fest 2015, held on the
banks of Winnipeg's Red River.
Hosted by the Enns’ and their next-door neighbours, Ken and Helen Penner, on Kildonan Drive along the banks of Winnipeg’s Red River, the concert drew a crowd of more than 350 people.
Musical acts included groups who count Outtatown alumni among their ranks, including Say Uncle!, Michaela Loewen (OT ’13) and the River Fest House Band, which includes Luke (OT ’03) and Ang Enns (OT ’00).
Jess Reimer, a folk singer-songwriter based in La Riviere, MB, headlined the concert with her band, after a surprise set by acclaimed singer-songwriter Steve Bell.
“We were floored by the response to this event,” Ruth says. “Thanks to the kindness of those in attendance, four or maybe even five families in Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatemala will receive the life-changing news that they will be gifted with a new home over the next 24 months.”
Well over 60 people and businesses contributed to make the event possible through things like sponsorships, baking cookies and volunteering as everything from ushers to photographers at the event.
Foort and Ruth Bruinooge, two of the driving forces behind
River Fest, first visited Guatemala with Outtatown.
The majority of the musicians also donated their time in support of the cause.
“This was truly a community effort,” Ruth says. “It’s crazy to think that this idea a group of us cooked up two years ago has grown into what it has.”
The first River Fest was held at the end of August 2013, when more than 200 people gathered at the same location to listen to live music, catch up with old friends and donate toward the home building projects.
Organizers initially hoped to raise $5,000.
“None of us could have imagined that more than $24,000 would be raised that night,” Foort says.
The Bruinooges first visited Guatemala in 2001 when they were site leaders with CMU’s Outtatown Discipleship School. They traveled to Guatemala again in 2010 when Ruth was working for Outtatown as a program manager. It was during this visit that the home building projects began.
Michaela Loewen ('13) was one of many Outtatown alumni
who performed at River Fest.
On that trip, a man in need of a home for his family of eight approached the Bruinooges. After returning to Winnipeg, the Bruinooges raised some money from family and friends.
They arranged to have a house built for the family in the town of Santa Maria de Jesus in 2011. This modest new home included plumbing, a washing station for dishes and laundry, a safe indoor cook stove, and locking doors and windows.
Due to the widespread need for adequate housing, the Bruinooges organized another home build in 2012. This time, the house was built for a single mother with five children.
Financial contributions from a business colleague and members of Douglas Mennonite Church (DMC) made the home possible.
The idea for River Fest was borne out of the desire to build even more homes for families living in poverty in Guatemala.
Brothers Luke Enns (OT '03, CMU '07)
and Jake Enns perform at River Fest
with their band, Say Uncle!
“The families who receive a home are struggling with the realities of poverty and are not currently in a position to save enough money to build an adequate home for themselves,” Foort says. “The adults and older children in these families typically work for a living, but simply do not earn enough to provide for more than the absolute basics for their families.”
“A safe and completed house means that the families can now use their limited income for other things, such as healthcare and education for their children,” Ruth adds.
The families that receive a home are chosen by a local pastor in Santa Maria de Jesus. The family must own their own land to qualify for a home build.
The money is sent from donors in Canada, but the projects are completed locally. Luis Carlos Castillo, a local Guatemalan outreach worker and friend to the Bruinooge family, oversees the construction.
The homes are simple, concrete block-and-rebar construction. The building projects have provided meaningful employment for a local builder and his crew.
“The funds raised from River Fest in August 2013 funded four home builds, changing the lives of four families and 37 individuals forever,” Ruth says. “It’s all thanks to the generosity of the musicians, volunteers, attendees and donors at the 2013 event.”
“We are so thankful to the people from our DMC community and beyond who showed up at the beginning of September to make the second River Fest such a huge success,” Foort adds. “Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the generosity and support we have received. We really, really appreciate it.”
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