‘Rock 4 Alzheimer’s’ event set for Sept. 22

(Editor’s note: An incorrect version of this story was published in the Sept. 7 edition. Here is the corrected version including dates and performers.)

by Cori Hilsgen

news@thenewsleaders.com

With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with the illness, local performers once again will offer music enthusiasts some entertainment while helping raise awareness of and funding research for Alzheimer’s disease.

These performers will gather for the third annual Rock 4 Alzheimer’s event from 1-8 p.m.Saturday, Sept. 22, in the parking lot behind the Bad Habit Brewing Co. in St. Joseph.

The event will immediately follow the Alzheimer’s Association/Walk to End Alzheimer’s  that morning in St. Cloud.

The Rock 4 Alzheimer’s event will include performances by “Slip Twister,” “Collective Unconscious,” “Walter’s Wheelhouse,” “The Future,” and “The Killer Vees.”

In addition to the outdoor main stage, the event will also include a youth talent stage where younger area musicians can showcase their talents.

Organizers of this year’s Rock 4 Alzheimer’s event include Jeff Vee and Tommy Vee, of Rockhouse Productions, The Bad Habit Brewing Co. and the St. Cloud chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Local volunteers Jeny Meyer, from St. Joseph, and Mary Kelm, from Sauk Rapids, also help with the event. Meyer handles sponsorships and day-of-show coordination and Kelm coordinates the youth talent stage. Kelm joined the team with “School of Rock” coordinating experience.

“This is now the third annual ‘Rock 4 Alzheimer’s’ and we are excited to see how fast the event has grown,” Jeff Vee said.  “After having traveled the difficult and heart-breaking Alzheimer’s road with our dad, Bobby Vee, Tommy and I are determined to raise awareness and do what we can to combat this horrible disease.  More than anything, we want to support the local efforts that help people in our community and let people know they are not alone.  All of the proceeds stay right here in Central Minnesota, which has always been important to our family in any fundraising we have ever been a part of.”

Jeff said the event name, “Rock 4 Alzheimer’s,” has a tagline that says, “What’s Your Story?”

“When you have been down this road, you realize just about everyone has been touched by Alzheimer’s and has a story to tell,” he said. “The very first year we did this, it was the sharing of stories and visible support in the room that was the most rewarding aspect. This event is as much or more for caregivers as anyone. Get out, take a break, blow off steam and feel support. It is so easy both as a caregiver, and the loved one inflicted, to isolate in a whirlwind of healthcare fire drills, sometimes shame, and ultimately the frustrating life challenges that evolve by the day.”

The Vees come from a music background and supporting music and art in Central Minnesota, especially for young people, has been very important to their family.  From the “Rock Around The Clock” Cathedral High School fundraiser for 24 years, “School of Rock” shows for 14 years to Joetown Rocks for the last 12 years, bringing the area together around a “rock and roll’ music event for a good cause has been a passion for them.

That is why a portion of the proceeds from the Rock 4 Alzheimer’s event will go to “The Bobby and Karen Vee Scholarship for Youth Arts and Music in Central Minnesota.”  

The event was originally created by Jeff and Tommy Vee, sons of music legend Bobby Vee, and the family of Irene Linn, in conjunction with the St. Cloud Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association of Minnesota and North Dakota and Bad Habit Brewing Co. Both Bobby Vee and Linn are now deceased.