Ponte Vedra Concert Hall helped collect seven tons of food and supplies Friday, Nov. 6, during the annual "Rock the Pantries" food drive.

The drive, held simultaneously at the Concert Hall and the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, brought in pallets of donated goods that were distributed the following day to 17 local food pantries, as first reported by Action News Jax. Those pantries serve an estimated 6,700 families across St. Johns County ahead of the holiday season.

Community members dropped off dry goods, beans, canned vegetables, cooking oils and diapers throughout the day at both venues.

SJC Cultural Events, Inc., the nonprofit that operates and manages the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and St. Augustine Amphitheatre, organized the drive. Gabe Pellicer, president and CEO of SJC Cultural Events, praised the turnout.

"Our community rallied and showed up for those in need this year," Pellicer said, according to Action News Jax. "Because people took the time to give, our local food pantries have more food to share with neighbors who are counting on them this holiday season."

This marked the second consecutive year SJC Cultural Events has hosted the holiday food drive at both venues. Last year's drive collected 31,200 pounds of food for 13 pantries, according to a St. Johns County news release. This year's effort reached 17 pantries.

The receiving organizations include Apostolic Lighthouse Church, Betty Griffin House, Bible Baptist Church, Epic-Cure, Family Church, Flagler Estates Pentecostal, Home Again St. Johns, the Homeless Coalition of St. Johns County, Mary H. Lewis Food Pantry, Pie in the Sky Community Alliance, SEA Community Center, St. Augustine Youth Services, St. Francis House, St. Johns Ecumenical Ministries, St. Johns Food Pantry, The Simon's House and We Feed St. Augustine.

SJC Cultural Events confirmed the Rock the Pantries drive will return in 2027.