Concert serves as fundraiser for CASA of the High Plains
By DIANE GASPER-O'BRIEN
Summer concert season is upon us.
Just on the heels of the Wild West Festival, and with the Ellis County Fair just around the corner, music lovers will be treated to a free concert Monday night as part of a fundraiser for CASA of the High Plains.
The teenage band Brown Bag Special will perform from 8 to 11 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of Nex-Tech Wireless at 4310 N. Vine.
Raymond Haas, a board member for CASA -- a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children -- said the board always is looking for new ways to raise funds for the organization.
Haas' son, Braden, is a classmate of several members of Brown Bag Special, and together dad and son came up with the idea of having them play for a concert.
"We were looking for something different and thought, 'Let's give this a try,' " Haas said of the CASA board, which has about four or five large fundraisers a year.
Members of the band are three seniors-to-be at Thomas More Prep-Marian High School -- Braden Dreiling, Mason Ruder and Preston Werth -- along with younger brothers, Austin Werth, who will be a sophomore at TMP-Marian this fall, and brother Blake Ruder, who will be a freshman at Hays High School in 2009-10.
A $5 freewill offering will get the donor three tickets for door prizes that include an autographed basketball from the University of Kansas men's basketball team and several cash prizes and gift cards.
Also, the first 200 people will receive a free hot dog and drink, compliments of Wal-Mart SuperCenter and Pepsi.
Haas said that in addition to playing the concert, band members also helped with fundraising.
"We were able to get some corporate sponsors," said Preston Werth, one of the vocalists in the band who also plays bass guitar.
Preston Werth, who started the band with his two classmates during last school year, said they have enjoyed practicing and play at a couple of venues and are looking forward to Monday's concert.
"It should be fun," he said, adding they have been busy practicing this week. "We just played (last) Monday, and we can't do the exact same set. So we learned some new songs for this."
Other vocalists are both Ruder brothers, who also play the guitar, while Dreiling is the drummer and Austin Werth is on the keyboard.
"I'm looking forward to it, something different," Haas said. "And it's a good thing for them to learn a little about fundraising, too."