Concert to help fill shelves at food pantry
By JUNO OGLE
A concert Saturday night will bring together four Hays rock bands to help restock the shelves at the Community Assistance Center.
Members of Plan B, Downfall, Gypsy Road and Shades of Gray will play Hays-Stock Rockfest starting at 8 p.m. at Fanchon Ballroom. The only charge for admission is a donation -- either in cash or perishable food items -- for the food pantry at the Community Assistance Center.
"Each band will play for approximately an hour, with kind of a multi-band jam at the end," said Dave Gray, one of the event's organizers.
Mixing it up is something that comes natural to a lot of the musicians playing in Hays. Gray is guitarist with Shades of Gray and Downfall and said it's not unusual for members of one band to join another onstage for a number or two.
"We've got a really supportive, cooperative music scene here now," he said. "We have a lot of fun with that."
Pat Toepfer, guitarist with Plan B and another event organizer, agreed.
"All these people in all these bands are so open-minded and easy to become friends with even if you're not a musician. There's a neat group of people in Hays," he said.
Gray said the idea for the benefit formed when he went to see Plan B perform New Year's Eve at the Fanchon. He, Toepfer and Plan B drummer Jeff Durall started talking about the idea after the holiday show and decided to do something for a local charity. They settled on the Community Assistance Center.
"There's several local charities. It's not that one is any better than another," Gray said. "We just thought this is one that reaches the whole community."
"It's a very well-run organization," Toepfer said. "And the people that they help are definitely people in need."
"It would be great if it turned out well and turned into an annual event," Gray said.