The smell of roasted pig and the sound of live music drew crowds of people to the WVLP Radio Hog Roast Friday evening. With delicious food, endless entertainment, and all your favorite contributors to Valpo’s very own radio station, Butterfield Pavilion was the place to be.
To see more photos from the event, click here!
For just twenty dollars a ticket, guests enjoyed roasted pork, vegetarian cuisine, chicken sides, pasta, desserts, and beverages courtesy of KP’s catering. Children under ten ate free. All proceeds of the night went straight to WVLP, allowing residents of Valpo to play the music they enjoy and discuss matters important to them.
Musicians of the evening included Joel Hickman, Dian Lang, Mickey Camp, Dot Paken, among others.
“This is our tenth annual community dinner which came to be known as The Hog Roast. Since we are a 501c, non-profit, in an uncertain economy, we depend on two fundraisers to keep WVLP afloat,” Gregg Kovach, executive director of WVLP, explains, "This event has become a staple. It is not only critical to our financial solvency, it also has become a networking tool and a fun event for all those who attend. We have local music talent and friends in the food service business put on a wonderful feast.”
Guests of the event have all found different ways to do their part for WVLP. John Marx of JM2 Web designers said while enjoying his meal with family, “We take on a community project every six months so we helped out WVLP with their website recently. ”
With so many smiling faces, it was clear that a community had formed around the radio show. For an organization to find such a dedicated group of followers and supporters, it really has to have something special and that is certainly what WVLP has obtained.
“WVLP is an exception to the media rule. We don’t have to make any profit, we don’t have regulations and people telling us what we can and can’t say,” Paul Schreiner, co-founder of WVLP, said, “We can offer the public an alternative to pop music and we can talk about issues in the community that other people don’t want to talk about. We can offer a serious alternative to people who kind of want to be a little hip on the local scene.”
Anna Hanson, who recently started her own show called On The Verge, for WVLP, explains “What I think is great about WVLP is that it’s everyone from the community getting together to do what they want to do. So there’s an opportunity to have a sports show or a blues show. There’s such a variety.”
By the end of the night, it became evident that WVLP is not only a radio show, but a family. So next time you’re thinking about flipping on a Chicago station that hundreds of thousands listen to, flip to 98.3 instead. Within a few minutes, they’ll have you feeling like part of the family.
