16th annual Hootie and the Blowfish ‘Homegrown’ weekend kicks off

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — It’s almost time to go back to school, which means it’s time to party with Hootie and the Blowfish.

The 16th annual Homegrown Weekend kicked off Friday at the Volvo Stadium on Daniel Island.

Just like every year, the band’s concerts this weekend are thrown to help raise school supplies for children in the Lowcountry.

Loyal fans like Adam Hall says he come every year, to jam out, for a good cause.

“It’s always better for anyone to put on a concert or event and have purpose behind it other than to just make sales or make money off of it. To give back to the community, which they do every year, it’s a great thing to do. I respect it and I appreciate the fact that they’re doing it,” he said.

Teacher volunteers stood outside the concert collecting donated school supplies from concert goers.

Paper, markers, pencils, and glue sticks were just some of the many items donated.

At a similar event to be held tomorrow, Saturday, called Hootie’s Homegrown Roundup, Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, James “Soni” Sonefeld, and Dean Felber will arrive and interact with students and their families at Burke High School in Charleston from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

An expected 1,000 students will receive school supplies, haircuts and dental and eye exams, to ensure a good start to the new school year.

The weekend continues with another sold out concert set for Saturday night.