UPDATE: Event coordinators state, “Due to circumstances beyond our control, at this time, the Fourth at the Farm event has been postponed. We are working with the artists/agency to reschedule this event but do not have a new date at this time. We apologize for the short notice of this postponement. We will be reaching out via email to those of you who have purchased tickets or sponsored this event within the next 48 hours. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We look forward to future events at the farm in 2022.”
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
This July 4th, Whitehead Farms, and Operation Heart FELT will present a grand Fourth of July Celebration to benefit children in need. The event will have nationally renowned country music artists, a fireworks show, food and fun for the entire family. The entire community is invited to enjoy the Fourth at the Farm.
Fourth at the Farm will be celebrated at 2:30 pm on July 4th at Whitehead Farms, located at 7136 Cedar Lane in Brooksville. Performing at this gala concert will be Jameson Rodgers, Larry Fleet and Brooks Timmons. Also making a special appearance will be Cowboy Troy, a country rap artist and TV show host.
Part of the proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit Operation Heart FELT (Feeding Empty Little Tummies), a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide nutritious meals to students and their siblings on weekends, holidays, and extended school break periods; sending home backpacks filled with breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Chairman of Operation Heart FELT Kevin Laielli explained, “This will be a country music concert with multiple headliners at Whitehead Farms, and we’ll have food vendors and trucks.”
As guests enjoy spirited country songs and fun, fair-style food, they’ll be supporting a good cause. Currently, Operation Heart FELT is a 100 percent volunteer-driven organization that’s been in operation since 2009. They are currently serving 250-300 children in 12 different schools. “We believe that every child deserves the advantage good nutrition provides to physical, emotional, and intellectual development,” read an organizational mission statement.
Kevin Laielli reports, “Our monthly food bill ranges from $4,000-$5,500 per month. These numbers are down from previous years due in part to Covid, remote learning, etc. We do anticipate adding more children and schools next year, and years to come.”
And when you support Operation Heart FELT, where beneficiaries are identified through the school system, you help the children. “One statistic that we are proud of is that out of every dollar donated, 99.2% goes directly to the purchase of food,” said Laielli. “That is because our warehouse, electric, warehouse shelves, etc., are all donated to us.”
Laielli says that fund-raisers such as Fourth at the Farm do much to support the feeding of needy kids throughout the area. “We’re always trying to think of new and creative fund-raisers for the whole family, and a Fourth of July country concert seems perfect,” said Laielli. “It’s all about funding our effort, so we can continue to feed these kids.”
Featured performer Jameson Rodgers is known for his Platinum-certified, No. 1 debut hit “Some Girls” and his follow-up Top 10 song “Cold Beer Calling My Name.” And he co-wrote multi-Platinum-selling hits for Florida Georgia Line “Talk You Out of It,” Chris Lane’s No. 1 hit “I Don’t Know About You”, as well as “Camouflage Hat,” featured on Jason Aldean’s album 9 and the title track of Luke Bryan’s latest release “Born Here Live Here Die Here.”
Larry Fleet is a Tennessee-based singer/songwriter who has performed with and opened for artists such as the legendary Willie Nelson. He performs a popular Gospel Song Sunday series on social media, and is earning raves for his new single, “Where I Find God.” His recordings are “Stack of Records,” and “Workin’ Hard.”
Special guest star Cowboy Troy is a country hip hop artist known in equal parts for his particular brand of “hick-hop,”’ his host duties on the show Nashville Star, and his Southern fried cooking skills. His latest release is the rhythmic single” BYOB.” Starting with the CD release of “Loco Motive” in 2005, Cowboy Troy is a pioneer in the field of country-influenced hip hop.
Brooksville’s Brooks Timmons is celebrating the release of his debut EP ‘Subconscious,” which features the guitar-driven country tracks “Hard Workin’ Man,” “Messed Up Situation,” “Searching for You,” and more. This professionally produced, deeply heartfelt recording is the followup to Timmons’ debut single, “Stronger Than the Proof.”
Brooks Timmons stated,”I love making music. And I love to play my music for a great cause. My grandma is a volunteer for Operation Heart FELT.”A retired employee with the Hernando County School System, Timmons’ grandmother bore witness to the difficult life situations faced by poverty-stricken students. “Some kids may not realize that some of their classmates are living in cars, homeless with no food,” he said. “We always saw the need for this charity, and my family became close to those who ran the charity.”
Timmons, who likes to base his song lyrics on real-life situations and complexities, too feels that a Fourth of July country concert is the perfect fund-raising event for a family-centered charity. “This means good times for kids and families,” he said. Tickets for Fourth at the Farm are $50 for general admission, $200 for VIP, $100 for Youth VIP. Kids 12 and under are free only for General Admission. Visit https://www.whitehead-farms.com.
Owner of Whitehead Farms Donnie Whitehead shared, “We have a tradition of hosting charity concerts at Whitehead Farms for organizations like The Fraternal Order of Police, Jerome Brown Youth Foundation Football, K9 Partners for Patriots, and for Operation Heart FELT I love what Operation does for kids, they work tirelessly to provide a service that is greatly needed. And this is an opportunity to educate people in the community as we entertain them.” Brooks Timmons agrees, stating, “These volunteers are doing good things for those kids.”
