OVER $23K RAISED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AT DUELING PIANOS EVENT
It was a wild and raucous Saturday night at the Concert for a Cause Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos event hosted by Southeastern Illinois College and Ferrell Hospital in SIC’s Deaton Gymnasium.
With three talented musicians that could play just about any request and about 330 people, the joint fundraiser grossed $23,616 between sponsorships, ticket sales, donations, silent auction, balloon pop, and specialty drink donations.
Sponsorships ranged from $2,000 to $500. The On Top of the World premier sponsor was Align Wealth Management with Michael Tison. A new sponsorship level this year was Hungry Like the Wolf by Foresight Energy. The Jukebox Hero sponsor was Jim Hayes, Inc. Don’t Stop Believin’ sponsors included Aramark Uniform Services, Dr. Joseph Jackson & Katie Jackson, PA, Morello’s Restaurant, State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, The Glass Doctor of Harrisburg, Tom & Chloe Ann Clore, Legence Bank, Oldham Boy Outdoor Advertising, State Sen. Dale Fowler, and Beecher & Helen Williams.
“Ferrell Hospital is proud to close out another year co-hosting Concert for a Cause with SIC,” said Callie Smith, Ferrell Hospital Director of Community Relations/Foundation. “It’s a pleasure to help host an event that benefits two great organizations and is fun for the community. Since its inception, we’ve welcomed more and more people to Concert for a Cause each year and we can’t wait to see how many we have in 2024.”
The night started with a salad and pasta dinner prepared by SIC Falcon Bistro Chef Michael Intravaia, cakes donated by Maple Street Café at Ferrell Hospital, and cash bar services donated by Morello’s. Morello’s also donated $1 from the sale of each specialty drink — the Southeastern Sweetheart and the Ferrell Forget-Me-Not — back to the fundraiser.
One of the highlights of the night for guests was getting silly in the photo booth, donated for the evening by Epic Snap. The balloon pop with large cash prizes was made possible by donation from Sen. Dale Fowler with additional prizes donated by many local businesses. The stage was donated for the evening by Eldorado High School.
Many businesses in the community supported the event through auction items, of which there was a wide array from themed baskets, artwork, and gift certificates to St. Louis Blues Hockey tickets and a fire pit from SIC welding, in addition to many other items. The auction was conducted online, allowing those who could not attend to participate and show their support.
The talented musicians from Howl at the Moon took requests and got the audience singing and dancing from 7 to 10 p.m. The generous audience tipped heavily to outdo other tables and get their songs played, and the musicians donated all tips back to the fundraiser – more than $1,000!
Half of the money raised will fund new medical equipment for Ferrell Hospital’s newest specialty and family medicine providers.
The other half will go to the endowment for SIC student scholarships and support. Additionally, every dollar raised for SIC will be doubled by a federal Title III grant, making the total proceeds from the event even larger.
“SIC is so grateful for the support from our community and the great collaboration with Ferrell Hospital on this event,” said SIC President Dr. Jonah Rice. “What started out as a one-time event has grown into a tradition that gets bigger and better each year—all for the betterment of our community.”
Concert for a Cause will be back Feb. 10, 2024, with Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos. For additional ways to give to SIC, visit sic.edu/give or email giving@sic.edu. For additional ways to give to Ferrell Hospital, visit ferrellhosp.org/For-You/Ferrell-Foundation or email foundation@ferrellhospital.org.
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