ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - A local magician is putting his talents to work with the help of fellow performers to provide meals for residents who may need the extra support.

Scot Smith, known as Great Scot the Magic Dude, hosted the first Magic for Meals fundraiser and food drive Feb. 20 to benefit the Elk Grove Food Bank.

Smith, a family magician and community liaison who serves as an ambassador with the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce, said the idea had been on his mind for years before he finally brought it to life this year.

“I’ve wanted to do it for a long time; I love the idea of fundraisers for good causes,” Smith said.

 

Scot Smith, pictured on the right during his act, is a local magician that performs under the name Great Scot the Magic Dude. He hosted the first “Magic for Meals” fundraiser and food drive Feb. 20 to benefit the Elk Grove Food Bank.

Smith said the decision to organize the event this year was ultimately motivated by the food bank’s growing need for community support as funding has become more limited.

“The political climate right now where they’ve lost a big portion of federal funding, they require more fundraising and so I thought that was a good place for me to start,” Smith added.

The evening fundraiser drew about 150 attendees and featured five magic acts performing a range of tricks including prop-based illusions, juggling, card tricks and a seemingly never-ending supply of doves.

Performers included Andy Sawn, performing as Zippy the Clown’ Jon Lopez of Real Magic; Bill Devon of Top Class Magic and Al Skinner, all friends of Smith who volunteered their time to support the fundraiser. Renee Lopez, a singer from Tennessee, also performed an original country song for the audience.

 

Jon Lopez of Real Magic reveals the inside of a box containing his magician’s assistant, his niece, after completing an illusion trick for the audience.

Throughout the night, youth, parents and other community members responded with oohs, ahs and laughter as the performers worked their magic.

Each $15 ticket purchased went directly toward funding food and meals for the food bank. Attendees were also encouraged to bring nonperishable food donations, which were collected during the event.

In total, the fundraiser generated about $2,700 and 220 pounds of food for the food bank.

Valerie Erwin, community outreach manager for the Elk Grove Food Bank, attended the event and thanked those in attendance for their support, noting that the organization assists thousands of residents each month.

 

About 150 people were in attendance for the inaugural Magic for Meals event on Feb. 20, in support of the local food bank. 

“We are supporting between 8,000 to 15,000 people every month providing food and clothing as they need, so your donations are very welcome and very appreciated,” Erwin said.

Smith said the event was made possible with support from several local businesses that donated services, including Sunshine Swim Event Center, which provided the venue, and AnyThyme Catering, which supplied food for the evening.

Even with donated services and volunteer performers, Smith said organizing the fundraiser still involved significant costs. In the future, he hopes to secure sponsors to help offset background expenses so a larger share of proceeds can go directly to the food bank. He also said he would like to eventually see the event receive city sponsorship and be hosted at District56.

For now, Smith said the first Magic for Meals gave him and his fellow magician friends an opportunity to show how entertainment and community support can come together to benefit a good cause.

“We’ve all been fairly successful in what we do, you know, and if we can do something for a good cause, we do it,” Smith said.