Headliners Big Toe and the Jam perform during the fourth annual Rockin’ Robbins event in July 2019 at Robbins Island Park in Willmar. Erica Dischino West Central Tribune
Rockin’ the island: From hopes and dreams to paving the way BY TIM SPEIER West Central Tribune
WILLMAR — Two years before Rockin’ Robbins became a reality, a group of friends from the two Rotary clubs in Willmar would travel to St. Cloud for Summertime by George, a summer concert series put on by the St. Cloud Rotary Club. Joy Baker, the Willmar Rotary Club marketing coordinator for Rockin’ Robbins, said they were inspired by the success of that event and reached out to the St. Cloud Rotary Club to see if its
success could be replicated in Willmar. “The Rotary Club came up with the idea of doing this back in 2014,” Baker said. “We had been going up, several of us, and enjoying the Summertime by George free concert series up in St. Cloud and that is also put on by their local Rotary Club. So we asked them for some advice on starting our own music series, similar to what they were doing. They were really gracious about sharing and helping and getting ours
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going. They came down and attended our first ones. It was just a great collaboration.” After almost two years of planning and scheduling, the Rockin’ Robbins inaugural season kicked off with two outdoor concerts in 2016. Knowing it was only the first season, the Rotary was hoping to at least raise enough money to cover the bills. They broke even and then some, raising more than $20,000.
