Fundraiser honors cancer victim with music she shared with her father
WARRENDALE — By age 8, Riley Scheller already was learning to play American roots music on her fiddle; a style she learned to appreciate from her dad, Jeff Scheller.
Riley died of a brain tumor at the age of 11 in 2008, but yesterday some of her favorite songs in the folk, bluegrass and country genres blasted from Jergel’s Rhythm Grille. Throughout the afternoon, multiple bands played to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia and the Highmark Caring Place, which Scheller said helped his family and Riley when she was diagnosed with cancer.
Scheller’s band, Well Strung, opened the second edition of the Roots Rally to a door crowd that he said was better than that of the inaugural event in 2019. He said he had been unable to have the event since 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Scheller’s top goal was to raise $2,000 to memorialize his daughter, but his secondary mission was to give people a place to hear several interpretations of roots music in one place.
“I love music festivals, but they tend to be (either) just bluegrass music or just blues music,” Scheller said. “I love hearing all the roots music ... a lot of people don’t get the chance to hear roots music, but it’s where almost everything else comes from.”
The styles emanating from Jergel’s on Sunday varied from blues-oriented acoustic jams to rockabilly and surf tunes. Six bands performed at the event, each of which attended generously because Scheller said they were probably paid less than they would be at other gigs of similar size.
Some bands even donated their pay to the cause, according to Scheller.
“Most musicians are giving, and it’s easy to bring them our for a fundraiser,” he said. “Some gave it all back, but I let them know it was their choice.”
The money meant for the Make-A-Wish Foundation raised through Roots Rally actually would be given to the Marshall Middle School Kids for Wish Kids Club, a student organization that directly supports the foundation. Formed in 2015, it has helped grant five wishes since its inception, according to its sponsor, Bill Mascari.
Scheller retired from teaching at Marshall Middle School about two years ago, but said he was happy to continue supporting the student organization.
Mascari, who is also a Spanish teacher at Marshall Middle School, said the group aims to raise $4,400 to grant one wish a year. Thanks to events like the Roots Rally, the club is able to exceed that fundraising goal.
“We were only able to grant one wish in two years because of COVID,” Mascari said. “So I was apprehensive about making the goal this year, but we are actually going to exceed it.”
While Scheller had a $2,000 fundraising goal for Sunday, donations already surpassed a $500 goal posted on a Facebook event page before the event started.
Mascari also said students had planned to help out at the event, but they were unable to get T-shirts printed in time to sell there. However, he said the club’s student members are all excited to help out a nonprofit like Make-A-Wish.
“The kids in our club want to be involved because they have heard of Make-A-Wish and want to help grant wishes,” Mascari said. “Some want to be a part of it because it has helped their parents or a relative.”
More and more people filled the standing room and the seated areas of Jergel’s as the day went on and bands — and genres — rotated through the stage. Scheller said it could take a few days to calculate the amount of money the event raised, but called the turnout a good omen.
Scheller also said he hopes to host the Roots Rally every year, because the event and the music spread a positive message.
“It was a chance to touch more people and spread something positive,” Scheller said.
