We're organizing a fundraiser for Autism Speaks on July 25th, 2021. I have performed at well over 100 of these fundraisers but this is the first time I've ever organized one myself.
Last year when I was out of work, we tried to have a small get-together with some of my musician friends and their families at the Grant Park community center. We got shut down twice due to covid. I had a conversation with my friend Ralph Whipple (horn player with KGB Band & The Newports) and he asked if I'd be interested in making it a public event rather than a private event. The idea was, we could get a couple of bands and find a charity to donate any proceeds to. I thought it was a great idea.
My stepson is on the Autism spectrum, so Autism Speaks was my first thought.
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What started as a small gathering has turned into a small festival.
We now have a BBQ truck, sweet corn vendor, Bloody Mary booth, sponsors, gift basket raffles, and we've opened it up to other vendors (as long as they make a generous donation to the cause).
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Autism Speaks will be at the event to make announcements and have a booth there.
There will be 2 bands. KGB Band & "Big Dog" Mercer are both performing a 90 minute set each. Then we'll have an "all-star" jam session for 2 hours after both bands have performed.
Please mark your calendars and attend this FREE EVENT on July 25th, 2021 in Grant Park, IL.
(Grant Park is a town at the northeastern edge of Kankakee county - NOT Grant Park in Chicago).
A side note about the event. Our dearly departed friend and amazing guitarist Tom Gurney organized this event every year in Steger, IL. We performed at it 2 or 3 times and it was always a great time. Tom passed away in January 2019. He was an amazing person. I'll be dedicating my time to Autism Speaks, but I'll be dedicating my performance to Tom.
We hope to see you there!
Regards,
Marty "Big Dog" Mercer
Ps, if you'd like to donate but cannot make the event, follow this link to donate directly to Autism Speaks. https://shar.es/aW0e9W