Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009
music for memories
The Potatoheads
Every spring and fall many of the Grand Strand's numerous non-profit and charitable organizations plan their biggest fundraising events and compete for busy weekends to help replenish stretched-thin balance sheets. This fall is no exception and there's a new kid on the crowded block. From 2 - 9 p.m. Sunday, the Hot Fish Club on the Murrells Inlet waterfront, will host the inaugural Music for Memories Alzheimer's Association benefit featuring live music, a free shrimp boil and drink specials with proceeds going to the Alzheimer's Association Lowcountry Coastal chapter. The Potatoheads, Painted Man and The Paul Grimshaw Band (not those guys again) will each donate a set or two to help entertain attendees. As of press time the addition of other musical acts was also being considered.
With lots of competing events from the first of October through the end of the year it might be understandable if area residents are burned out and feel like they're on fundraising overload. Not so says Scott Byrd, of Songbyrd Productions and the organizer of Sunday's Alzheimer's event. "I think people are looking for things like this to do and ways they can help out. The weather's better and it only takes a little bit from a lot of people to make an impact," he said. Byrd, who has a grandparent and other family members afflicted by Alzheimer's, has been planning the event since earlier in the year. "I wanted to do something to try to raise a little money for research and to help out families that are going through this. We will have donation areas, and other ways for people to give a few bucks. It's amazing how many people and their families are affected by Alzheimer's," he said.
Painted Man's guitarist Vince Peeples knows first hand about the devastating disease. For Peeples the Music For Memories event hits home. "My grandmother has Alzheimer's," he said. "She lives with us - me and my wife and daughter. She doesn't have it as bad as other people - but we have our days - mostly good days at this point. She's been with us for two years."
What does the Alzheimer's Association Lowcountry Coastal chapter do?
"Mainly we're here for the caregivers," said Cameron Renwick, Director of Development for the Alzheimer's Association Lowcountry Coastal chapter, which serves our area. "We train staff and also help individual caregivers. We offer support groups, 24-hour hotlines, personal care consultations, and we [give out] $500 grants to [qualifying] caregivers twice a year to help to pay for someone to take care of your loved-one while you go grocery shopping or get a haircut, those kinds of things. A lot of people don't have time to do these things."
Bruce Alverson, general manager of the Hot Fish Club, says he's "thrilled" to use the facility for these kinds of events. "The real story is how the bands always step up and donate their time to make these things happen," said Alverson, who is making things happen his own way by donating the gazebo and the Hot Fish Club grounds along with countless pounds of shrimp for a free shrimp boil. "We'll be accepting donations, of course," said Alverson, "and we're working on some drink specials too, where all the money will be given to the Alzheimer's Association."
Music, food and libations - the magic combination.
The Surfrider Foundation just finished a successful 10th annual Lip-Rippin' Chilympics fundraiser, which was well attended, despite chilly winds on Sunday afternoon. The event featured specialty chilis concocted by more than 30 cook-off participants, along with live music from Skitch, Ten Toes Up, The Stike-O-Matics, The Old Scobes, and Sawgrass. House of Blues recently hosted the 14th annual Folk Art Festival and inaugural Battle of The Blues, which benefited the South by Southeast non-profit music organization. Some 30 musical acts entertained day and night for two days. St. Andrew Catholic School will host the 26th annual Taste of the Town, 4 - 10 p.m. Tuesday featuring more than 40 restaurants and live performance by Soul Function. The Global Awareness Project will host its popular Cultural Visions Art Show and Calendar Launch Nov. 2-3 at the 2001 Nightclub. The event will feature dramatic theatrical presentations, improvisational comedy, dance, live music and art for sale and auction from 60-plus local and regional artisans.
Many additional fundraising events are held fall, winter and spring giving area residents and the area's creative types a chance to donate their time and talents for a wide variety of worthy causes. How can you help? By attending.
Have a thought, comment or newsworthy item for Weekly Surge Music Notes? Send an email to pgrimshaw@sc.rr.com.
