Most of us don't need a reason to drink good beer and listen to great music, but Rich Crescenti is giving us the chance to do both for a good cause.
Crescenti, a supporter of local music and breast cancer research is putting on Music For A Cure, May 10 at Bandersnatch Brew Pub in Tempe, which includes a silent auction, donations, prizes, more than 15 local bands and of course, beer.
Crescenti started Music For A Cure as a Phoenix link to a larger cancer foundation.
"It's what they call a third party charity," Crescenti says. "We work in conjunction with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. They do Race for a Cure. They do research for breast cancer and they help people in Arizona who are uninsured or underinsured who are suffering from breast cancer as well. They're a great organization."
He says he became motivated to start the annual event when he lost his mother to breast cancer last December.
"It's a really horrible disease," he says. "You only have one mom and she was great. I miss her, I love her, and hopefully we can help in any way that we can to find a cure for this."
Crescenti decided to use music to get involved because it has always been a big part of his life.
"This happens to be something I have certain skills in. Since I have been in a local band for a long time, I know a lot of local bands," Crescenti says. "It's something I am familiar with and a way I can help."
Crescenti plans on making the event bigger and better than last year.
"Last year was packed and it was the first year that we did it," he says. "We raised over $3,300 and this year I would like to double it. That's my personal goal."
Will Wilkinson, bass player for Dimonet who will be playing at the benefit, is [for personal reasons] delighted to participate.
"I am glad to be doing it," the ASU biology junior says. "I've had breast cancer in the family and I feel privileged to be apart of [Music For a Cure]."
Crescenti explains that he has been a good friend with Hello Swindon, the headlining band, and that they have been a huge help in putting together the event this year. "Scott [Hello Swindon's lead singer] has been a big help this year in organizing it," Crescenti says. "I did a lot of it last year and it was too much. I could have made it better if I would have delegated more. Scott's been a tremendous help.
"He knows how important this is to me and he loves doing this kind of stuff. He's a great motivator and he really gets going."
Hello Swindon's saxophone player, Todd Sisk, has a more personal reason for wanting to get involved in the event.
"My father was a musician, saxophone player, and he died of cancer," Todd says. "Being able to do some fundraising for that means a lot to me. I feel him a lot when I play, and to be able to give a little bit back for him and for everyone that suffers from the same thing he has, it means a lot to me to support it."
Drummer John Vick said he is lucky to not have anyone close to him that suffers from cancer, but that he does get a lot out of putting on the benefit. "I used to be a teacher before I did music and the notion of helping people out is very important to me," Vick says. "We rarely get the chance to do that because there is not actually a lot of chances for bans to play for charities.
"So when we organize something as big as this, it's like everybody wins. We get to have a great time doing what we love to do and spread joy anyway, but it's like icing on the cake if there's a cause. It adds even more meaning to it."
Reach the writer at kelley.karnes@asu.edu.
 |
|
|
||||||||||||
