Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2015 12:29:09 GMT -5
Jeffrey Steele is gearing up for his 8th Annual Jeffrey Steele and Friends benefit concert and auction in honor of his late son, Alex. This year's concert will be held at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn., and feature performances by LOCASH, Chris Janson, Delbert McClinton, The Shuggah Pies, Brandon Hood, Davis Naish, Adam James and Alyssa Bonagura.
In addition to the concert, a silent auction will also take place. All proceeds raised throughout the evening will benefit the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, helping overlooked and underprivileged youth by motivating them in school and in life.
On Jan. 28, 2007, at the age of 13, Alex lost his life in a tragic ATV accident. Jeffrey and his family rallied to create the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund, which raises money through various events to give kids with similar interests as Alex the chance to follow their passions. In 2010, the fund was used to rebuild the Brentwood outdoor skatepark, which had been destroyed in the Nashville flood of that year. Additionally, the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund has helped provide local YMCAs with unique media centers where kids can learn about audio and video production as a creative outlet.
“We’re trying to put the money into stuff that my son loved,” Jeffrey tells Country Weekly. “He loved to make films, he loved to skateboard and he loved music. He used to produce his own music on GarageBand and all that stuff, so we wanted to kind of center it around what he loved, which is what most kids love. It’s been really great. We’re really excited about where we’ve seen the money go and how it’s helped the kids.
“It pulls at kids that aren’t like all the other kids who are into football or baseball,” Jeffrey continues. “Skateboarding isn’t a high school sport, but a lot of kids aren’t drawn to those high school sports. We’re able to give kids a skateboarding scholarship where they get free skateboards and lessons in the program, but they have to keep their grades up or they get their skateboards taken away. So there are incentives for them to keep trying hard, and it’s been so fulfilling.”
A very cool guy!