8th Annual Rockin’ Kids First Concert and Auction - December 7th, 2019 at Amos Southend
FEATURES: Bands to be Announced soon
SPONSORS: NEEDED
$ 1000.00 from Danny Wimmer Presents on behalf of the Epicenter Festival held in May in Rockingham NC
A Signed Guitar from Epicenter including signatures of many of the performers of that Festival. (photos, signature list coming soon) -Donated by The Epicenter Fan Zone
HISTORY: Rockin’ Kids First exist solely for the purpose of collection of donations for KIDS FIRST OF THE CAROLINA. But the beginning started with our music school needing to replace a gig for some very talented and well rehearsed kids who were suppose to play a charity event / Food Drive on December 15th 2011. When the gig got cancelled they were bummed because they were well rehearsed and ready to play for a crowd. We called a friend who booked for a small local venue then located at the Music Factory and asked for a Saturday afternoon if we promised to be out by 7, he said yes. We had 2 weeks to organize and advertise a show. With the help of some brand new friends who we had met at another charity event the kids played, we booked some crazy good talent of all ages and met two wonderful people who would eventually become among our best friends.
After only a few days of booking, we started to feel the electricity in the air for this event and it was shaping up to be something special. But we still didn’t have the charity picked out. After discussing it further, Rock University owner, Kevin Corzine, suggested Kids First. He knew of Kids First because of John Hancock on WBT Radio. He knew Kids first was grass roots and helped local and regional families in need and that they had a lot of name recognition too, which would help our event. Kids First had no idea who we were but that changed in time (more on that later).
That first show was indeed “electric”, the venue was smallish, but it was packed with people paying 5.00 to get in and donating a new unwrapped toy to Kids First. The music was wonderful and inspiring, we had young talent from our region, including our own Rock University Roadshow band, Anna Cibbarelli, Wallace Foutch, as well as seasoned musical favorites like Patrick McKenna and we were headlined by Moses Jones. West Art Video showed up to provide video and photo of the night and the social media networks were buzzing. We raised about 500.00 and a gigantic load of toys and bikes which we delivered all to Kids First. We knew we had to do it again!
Year 2 arrived and we moved up to a bigger venue, the Chop Shop, with two stages and an outdoor area for food vendors, we made it an all day affair with 17 bands.
On Year 3 we had established a relationship with John Ellison of Amos and knew he had found the perfect spot for the event. Bands started coming to us early asking to play, we wanted to fit them all in but had to turn some down, and this thing just grew. Year 4 and 5 came and went and Amos became the permanent home as these shows had taken on a life of their own. There is always something in the air at this event, it’s a feel good experience, it’s a shopping opportunity like no other, especially for music fans and it’s a great lineup of bands of several different genres. One of our favorite musical inclusions at Rockin Kids First is a Drum Circle that involves the entire venue and every attendee.
Some people come out every year just for the auction and raffle. The ever popular tickets as long as your arm option has people finding their most long armed friends and dragging them out just to maximize the raffle ticket purchase. This give away always includes delicious options from restaurants, as well products like pet care, hair care and services, and some unique things like “baby chicks” have shown up through the years.
Auction items are shipped in from a service that seeks out the best memorabilia and autographed memorabilia in the world from the music industry. But one of the most popular auction items has been provided by the Carolina Rebellion Fan Zone group (now known as the Epicenter Fan Zone). Each year a guitar has been purchased or donated so that the group could place it in the Media area at the large rock festival held each May in the Carolinas. The guitar is then signed by dozens of famous rock artist performing at the festival and given back to Rockin’ Kids First as the center piece of our auction. In 2017 we had acquired a guitar signed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty unfortunately passed away in October of that same year and left a lot of Heartbroken fans behind, including John Hancock of WBT Radio. John’s friends bid on the guitar and gifted it to him. But John’s long and dedicated history with Kids First would not allow him to keep it, he then generously put it into his on air auction and through the magic of his large radio audience, he turned that into a 6000 donation to Kids First.
KIDS FIRST is why we are here. After that first year, when they didn’t know us and we didn’t know them, we got on their radar and we learned what they really were all about. This is a group of the most dedicated, selfless and wonderful human beings I have ever known. I want to just paste their mission from their own web site so I don’t get it wrong. But what I can say personally is that this started with us helping them, but they have helped us in ways I can’t describe. They helped us find a meaningful and direct way to give something back directly to the community and to be a very small part of a very BIG heart!
KIDS FIRST mission is to provide Charlotte area families in need with the services and resources necessary to have the confidence and security to live happy, productive lives. With your help, we are able to provide Easter and Thanksgiving dinners, Easter baskets, food for children during the summer months and throughout the year, back-to-school supplies, clothing & a very special Christmas.
For many families in our community, Christmas is a luxury. This is why for over 30 years, Kids First of the Carolinas has committed to providing Christmas to thousands of children and families in need. Every year, we throw a Christmas party of epic proportions for over 500 children and senior citizens. There will be a wonderful meal, fun Christmas music, gifts, dancing, entertainment, and of course, Santa arriving by a red helicopter!
We receive no federal or state funding, therefore we must rely on local businesses and individuals like you, to provide us with necessary resources, hoping to fulfill this commitment to our community. We identify these families through a vast network of sponsors, teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, neighborhood leaders, family, friends and co-workers.
Help is discreet and immediate. Each child is asked for a wish list. Many only ask for food, clothing, shoes, or socks. We try to give each child two wishes and clothing. These gifts are wrapped, ready to be placed under the tree. If they don’t have a tree, we can provide that too. Every year, the real work begins the day after the party, as our amazing, wonderful volunteers continue to help those in need, out of our donated store front right up till Christmas day!
