Meal, concert set in Zelie to aid earthquake victims
ZELIENOPLE — The Strand Theater Initiative will present a dinner and concert Friday to benefit victims of the Haitian earthquake.
Hands Around Haiti will begin at 5 p.m. Friday at the theater, 119 N. Main St., with proceeds going to the Pittsburgh Kids Foundation: Project Haiti, as well as a local family with relatives in Haiti affected by the Jan. 12 quake.
The Northbridge Music Project, The POP Rocks, Kenny Young, Shaded Gray and The Thrift Shop Band are all scheduled to perform.
Park United Presbyterian Church is hosting the spaghetti dinner before the concert from 5 to 7 p.m.
Food will be provided by The Ridge Restaurant & Pub at Strawberry Ridge Golf Course, Carole's Pastry Shoppe, Anthony's Produce, Eat-N-Park and Panera Bread. Marburger Dairy will provide drinks.
A dinner and concert combo ticket costs $20 for adults, $16 for children 12 and younger and seniors 60 and older.
A dinner-only ticket is $7 for adults and $5 for children and seniors; A concert-only ticket is $15 for adults and $13 for children and seniors.
The curtain rises at 7:30 p.m.
Shannon (Cuccaro) Israel, one of two Seneca Valley students who responded to a 2001 newspaper article about the fledgling effort to revive the Strand Theater, is married to Bernard Israel, who is from Haiti, and the two have a young son, Shann.
Bernard's family lost their home in the earthquake and has struggled since, living in a part of the country yet to be reached by humanitarian aid.
Half of the proceeds from the benefit will go to the Israel family and the other half will be sent to The Pittsburgh Kids Foundation: Project Haiti.
The benefit features Duane Davis, of the Davis School of Guitar Performance, and the musical group that he manages, The POP Rocks.
Davis plays in Northbridge Community Church's musical group, The Northbridge Music Project, and the Thrift Shop Band is an alumni of Davis' school.
The concert is general seating, and tickets are available through The Strand Theater Box Office at 724-742-0400, or at www.thestrandtheater.org.
For information, contact Ron Carter at 724-742-0400 or Shannon Israel at 724-584-0566.
