Organizers of canceled Algonquin fest to host benefit for flood victims

After canceling Algonquin Founders' Days last month because of record flooding along the Fox River, volunteers have decided to put on a smaller-scale festival to raise money for those affected.

The River Relief Benefit, scheduled for Sept. 8 to 10, is expected to offer many of the same performers, vendors, contests and family-friendly activities originally planned for Founders' Days, festival board President Dan Barton said. The event will take place in downtown Algonquin at Riverfront Park and along North Harrison Street.

"We thought we might as well give back the best we can with what we have," Barton said. "Hopefully, people come down for a good time and are able to donate some money ... to help anybody who suffered that odd 100-year flood."

Founders' Days organizers called off the 57th annual event just days before it was slated to begin the last weekend of July. At the time, the village had been battling rising floodwaters for more than a week, and municipal resources were stretched thin.

Instead of hosting the popular four-day fest, organizers shifted their focus toward helping the flood victims, starting with an online Crowdrise fundraiser that raised just under $1,000 by Tuesday afternoon.

Donations to the "Fight the Flood" campaign, as well as a portion of the proceeds from the benefit, will be distributed to affected residents, organizers said.

"We've tried to find a way to still hold our festival but add a charitable aspect to it in light of recent events," said Michael Wasz, Founders' Days board member. "Algonquin is a community of generous and caring individuals and supportive businesses, which we believe will be highlighted during the River Relief Benefit."

To avoid taxing the village's resources and manpower, some Founders' Days favorites - the carnival, parade and fireworks show - will not be included on the benefit's list of activities, Barton said.

Though the schedule is not yet finalized, he said, the festival will likely include a relief walk and run, food and beverages, a kids' corner, live entertainment and an outdoor market.

The event will take place from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10. Updates will be posted on the Founders' Days Facebook page and at algonquinfoundersdays.com.