Baltimore, MD, businesses and bands work -- and rock -- together for a good cause
Towson, MD (PRWEB) September 19, 2005 -- Local record label Hard Volume Records, design firm Natoli Design Group and Music First Learning & Recording Center have joined forces to present a benefit concert on October 1st, to be held at Towson's prestigious Recher Theatre.
The event, titled "Safe Home: A Benefit Concert for Abused Children" will feature 6 of the Mid-Atlantic region's premier bands: Anamide, Forwardhead, Elisium, Cascade in Blue, Malvado and Slattern.
Proceeds from the concert will benefit PROTECT (www.protect.org), a non-profit, national pro-child, anti-crime membership association. Grier Weeks, Executive Director of PROTECT, explains that this isn't your average child advocacy organization.
"The old saying "Children Don't Vote" is supposed to explain why children do not inspire fear and respect among elected leaders, " he says, "But the real reason children always lose out in the political arena is that adults don't fight for children the way they fight for themselves. Children don't vote—but neither do firearms, clean air, or whales. Adults protect their self-interests with money, lobbyists, and modern campaign strategies. Children make no political contributions, don't hire media specialists, and can't form PACs."
The organization was founded to provide tangible action in place of vague promises, Weeks says. "Children's protection is our responsibility, but too often we have offered children nothing more than vague non-profits and feel-good rhetoric.
PROTECT is founded on the belief that a single-issue focus is the only way to make child protection a political priority. Like the NRA or the AARP, we know that there is strength in numbers and power in being focused exclusively on a single issue. PROTECT believes that we must fight for children with the same seriousness and resolve with which we fight for any other vital interest."
Hard Volume Records and Natoli Design Group founder Joe Natoli feels very strongly about PROTECT and its efforts. "We wanted to do this show for PROTECT specifically because they focus on the single issue that most traditional child advocacy groups ignore: protecting children – by changing our laws and the way they're written – from abuse, exploitation and neglect. When I learned of their existence and learned what they were doing, I knew we had to do something to help them."
"The act of child abuse is shocking and distressing enough by itself," Natoli says, "but as a parent, what's even harder to swallow is that the majority of offenders go unpunished — and that our elected officials, who are paid with our tax dollars are responsible. That is absolutely, unequivocally unacceptable."
Natoli says a story regarding proposed legislation in neighboring Virginia caught his attention earlier in the year, and planted the seed for the benefit concert. "I read an article on Virginia Crime Commission Chairman Dave Albo, who introduced a proposed sex crimes bill that would have made raping and sodomizing children a minor felony — A MINOR FELONY! The penalties for these crimes would be reduced to the equivalent of tampering with cable TV service — and would be classified as a lesser offense than stealing chickens," Natoli explains. "Now, by all accounts, if it wasn't for an enormous amount of pressure from PROTECT, the bill would have probably passed.
After a long list of denials, explanations and excuses from Albo, the protests of Virginia voters and the presence of PROTECT at the General Assembly killed this legislation and sent a clear message to lawmakers: selling out children has real political consequences. I am behind that 1,000 percent, and that's why we're doing the SAFE HOME show."
Music First owners Ron Turner (whose band Forwardhead will play the show) and Chris Sanford are equally passionate about both the cause and the event. "It's important that we get as many people as possible to this show to lend support to the cause," Turner says. "Paul Manna of 24-Seven Entertainment and the Recher Theatre were kind enough to let us have their venue for the event.
When we brought the idea to the bands, everyone signed on immediately. Every business we've talked to has agreed to help with donations. Now we need the final piece to make this a success — we need the community to come out and support PROTECT by buying tickets and attending the show. And even if you don't have any interest in a rock concert, if you care about kids you can still donate to PROTECT through the Hard Volume web site."
Tickets can be purchased (and donations can be made) online from Hard Volume Records, at
www.hardvolume.com/store/, or by calling 410.529.8896, or through Music First by calling 410.256.2699 or visiting the store at 4132 E. Joppa Road, Baltimore MD 21236.
EVENT SUMMARY:
WHAT:
Safe Home: A Benefit Concert for Abused Children
WHEN:
Saturday, October 1st, 2005 6:00 pm to 12:00 am
WHERE:
Recher Theatre
512 York Road
Towson, MD 21204
BANDS:
Anamide, Forwardhead, Elisium, Cascade in Blue, Malvado and Slattern
TICKETS:
$10; Buy Online: www.hardvolume.com/store/
Buy in person: Music First, 4132 E. Joppa Road,
Baltimore MD 21236, 410.256.2699
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