In 2013, 28-year-old Drew Cook passed away suddenly of a heart condition that he didn’t know he had. A year later, his widow, Ashley Humphrey, decided to host a fundraiser in his memory called Heaps of Dreeps.
“We wanted to do something in memory of him and thought, what better way to do it than to have a huge summer end party, all the while raising money for a great cause?” Humphrey says. “It also raises awareness of heart disease [to] maybe prevent this from happening to someone else.”
This year’s event will be the third Heaps of Dreeps fundraiser and will be held on September 10. The event runs from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. Children are free and allowed until 6:00 p.m. There will be games, a bouncy castle, and face-painting for kids.
The event features live music, with musical talent playing on stage from start to finish. There will be acoustic acts including Eddy Von Riesen, Gerry St. Cyr, Elliot Kyle, and Shaun St.Cyr. Rock acts like Whiskey Talks, Those Liabilities, and Lounge FM will also play sets. Jordan St. Cyr will perform roots/folk music, and Brady Kenneth will play country. The night will end with some funk, played by Joe Ashwell and Evan St. Cyr, followed by a deejay.
This year’s entrance fee is $20 for adults, and there will also be a 50/50 draw. The first year raised $7,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the second year pushed that number up to $12,000. This year, organizers are hoping for an even better overall contribution.
Heaps of Dreeps will be held at 23022 Prefontaine Road, just two miles off Highway 59. Food trucks will be on site and the night will end with a fireworks display.
