Harmony Free Will Baptist Church will host a bluegrass benefit concert tonight to support their Back to School Bash set for this Saturday.
The church has organized bluegrass concerts before, but none quite on this scale.
Pastor Brandon Young was excited to announce Hunter Berry and friends, fiddlin’ Carson Peters, Hard Times and Lonesome Rails as the night’s entertainment.
“This is a big concert with bigger names,” Young said.
Young credits Sally and Hunter Berry with the fundraiser idea.
“She said they love the Back to School Bash and would like to help raise money for it,” Young said. “She worked on putting together the benefit concert. She put everything together for us and had all the connections.”
The bluegrass benefit concert is free, but anyone who wishes to donate money can be assured it will help prepare students for the coming school year.
“We’re hoping to raise a lot of money,” Young said. “If we have any surplus money, it will go into our Back to School Bash fund for next year.”
Pizza, drinks and candy bars will also be available at the event.
Young also wanted to announce that the Back to School Bash will include Head Start students this year.
“This year we are going to include those kids as well,” Young said.
In preparation for a new school year, the 7th annual Back to School Bash will provide backpacks and school supplies to children in the community. Last year, around 4,000 people attended the Bash, Young said. Half of those people were children who received their new school supplies.
“It’s just so big,” he said. “So many folks come together to make it happen. We’re hoping a lot of people come out again this year.”
The Back to School Bash will feature entertainment like Christian wrestling, carnival games, magicians, water balloon wars
“Everything is no charge to the public,” Young said.
Live entertainment will be provided by contemporary Christian artist Aaron Hagy & Company.
Guests may park at Hampton High School and ride a shuttle to the Bash. A skit will be performed inside of the sanctuary before children are given their backpacks.
“It will be packed full of all their supplies,” Young said. “They can stay as long as they want, play as long as they want and eat as much as they want.”
The first step is to host the bluegrass benefit, which will helps support the Bash.
“We want to say thank you to the community and volunteers because without them it would be impossible,” Young said. “We hope folks can come out and enjoy both events.”
The bluegrass benefit will be held at Hampton High School and is set to begin at 6 p.m. The Back to School Bash is on Saturday and lasts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information about the benefit concert, call 895-1417. For more details about the Bash, visit backtoschoolbashministries.weebly.com.