“Robert was a well-liked man,” said Nora Vanderford of Buffalo. “He lived life to the fullest and it’s just a shame he had to leave this world with this terrible disease.”
The former owner of Shady’s Food and Spirits in Union passed away after a battle with ALS — commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease — several years ago but Vanderford and the other members of CARMA — or Chicks Advocating Regional Music and Artists — are offering a chance for Union County to remember him while helping to support the music community he cherished and fight the war he unfortunately lost.
CARMA and Shady’s are hosting the first-ever Benefit Jam for ALS Research on Saturday, Aug. 28, at the restaurant and pub located in Union Square. The benefit is a family-oriented event and most of the scheduled activities will take place from 4-8 p.m.
And it’s a full slate for everyone who attends.
The benefit’s main attraction will be an open jam session for children and adults from 4-7 p.m. A “special guest” jam session will then be held until 8 p.m. before Crossluck, a Spartanburg cover band that specializes in performing songs from albums people grew up with, begins to play. Then at 10 p.m. Union’s own Quest will take the stage, playing a variety of covers of various popular hits from the 1970s to now.
“There’s a lot of music coming in from all over South Carolina and beyond,” said fellow CARMA member Renee Denton.
“Including several special guests,” Vanderford added.
While everyone’s jamming at Shady’s, however, kids up to age 12 will have an opportunity to participate in music workshops happening every 30 minutes until 7 p.m. at Sweets Coffee and Cream next-door. The workshops are limited to five children per half-hour session and some small percussion instruments will be available for use but kids are encouraged to bring their own.
Break dance performances by a break dance teacher from Lexington will be held throughout the first three hours of the benefit and several tables will be set up as well.
Tables will include a variety of information and services, from registering to be a bone marrow donor and information about ALS to local musician information, CDs and promotion items on sale. A professional photographer will also be available to snap photos which will be sent home that evening with each subject in the form of a CD.
The cost to attend the benefit is $8 per person or $15 per couple. All funds raised will go toward ALS research and several of those set to be at the event — including cohost Shady’s — are donating a portion of their proceeds from the evening to the same cause.
To top off a full slate of activities and music, those who attend the benefit on Saturday also will have the chance to win several raffle items or get in on a 50-50 raffle for a chance to win cash.
For just $1, a person gets one chance to win a host of items donated to CARMA to be raffled off at the benefit. Raffle tickets also will be sold six for $5 and tickets for the 50-50 chance at winning cash are going for $5 each.
Raffle and acution items came from several businesses from around the Upstate, including Daddy Joe’s BBQ in Gaffney, BLVD-MUSIC in Boiling Springs and a special musical item — a Main Street electric guitar with a Wings gig case — was donated by Tony Trakas at Music Avenue in Union.
Trakas donated the guitar — which will be auctioned off as part of a silent auction during Saturday’s event — because of the cause. He was also a friend of Grady and his family.
“I did know Robert Grady and I had another friend who died of Lou Gehrig’s diseases also,” Trakas said, adding the main reason he made the donation was because he wanted to help out. “It’s just a good cause. That’s basically what it is.”
He said what CARMA and Shady’s are doing through this benefit event is wonderful and thinks everyone who attends will not be disappointed.
“I think it’s great,” Trakas said. “I think it will be a real good time.”
There also will be donation cups at Shady’s and Sweets for anyone who would like to help ALS research above and beyond the raffles, auction and other events that evening.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the benefit. Vanderford, Denton and the rest of CARMA’s members are expecting a great night all for a good man and good cause.
“We’re so excited about this,” Denton said.
“Any open-minded person who loves music and who has a heart for giving back to their community should enjoy themselves,” Vanderford said.
“It’s going to be a celebration of community struggles and triumphs,” Denton added, “to band together and battle this terrible disease.”
CARMA’s first official event since becoming a group has been a lot of work but the benefit meshes well with what CARMA is trying to accomplish.
“Community can be formed around music,” Denton said.
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