The streets of Coeur d’Alene will be alive with music next week, for the third annual Street Music Week to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. The fun takes place Monday through Friday from noon to 1 p.m. along Sherman Avenue. Musicians and entertainers will be performing. Musicians will be playing with red collection buckets to help feed the hungry in our region.

The event originated in Spokane 14 years ago, and is now in three states. To date, $118,000 has been raised for Second Harvest, the primary supplier of food to smaller food banks and other distribution centers in the five counties of North Idaho.

“Street Music Week is a fabulous way to create awareness about the huge need for hunger relief in our communities with a fun, upbeat week-long event,” said Julie Humphreys, the organization’s community relations manager. “Second Harvest counts on the funds raised by Street Music Week in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene to feed hungry people in both communities. We resource and distribute food throughout the five counties of North Idaho. There’s something about giving what you can — on the streets, listening to musicians who donate their time and talent — that allows people to feel the joy of helping meet a basic need like hunger.”

Coeur d’Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore, who gave his life in the line of duty for the Coeur d’Alene Police Department in 2015, helped coordinate the process to bring Street Music Week to the Lake City. The city’s hospital, Kootenai Health, has sponsored the event since its inception.

“Proper nutrition is essential to good health,” said Kim Anderson, communications and marketing director for Kootenai Health. “Kootenai Health is proud to support our local food banks and help make healthy foods available to our community.”

Coeur d’Alene Assembly, 2200 N. Seventh St., is one of dozens of food pantries in North Idaho that have benefited from the 3.3 million pounds of food Second Harvest supplied to the region last year. “We have been able to serve many more needy families with the generosity of Second Harvest,” said Dan Christ, lead pastor. “We have partnered with Second Harvest, the Coeur d’Alene School District and the University of Idaho to meet the hunger needs of our city by not only providing food, but to teach principles of nutrition to those we serve.”

All are invited to head downtown and play or listen all week June 13-17 noon to 1 p.m. Art Spirit Gallery, 415 E. Sherman is the Street Music Week headquarters. For questions please call Jim Lyons (509) 868-1483. Donations are accepted online at streetmusicweek.com.