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Fairfield West goes wild
Nonprofit hopes for healing power
Concert series to raise funds and awareness for Sojourner Recovery Services, which aids substance abusers.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Two local health care providers are trying to harness the healing power of music.
Mercy Hospital Fairfield is hosting The Sojourner Concert Series at the Community Arts Center to raise funds for Sojourner Recovery Services. The Hamilton-based facility treats men, women and adolescents in the county who are chemically dependent and substance abusers.
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Sojourner, a private nonprofit organization, has lost $40,000 in cuts from the United Way and has not received an increase in funding from the Ohio Department of Drug and Alcohol Services in five years, said Sojourner President Amy Erhardt.
"With continuing budget cuts and increasing demand for services, we are creative with ways to obtain much needed resources to support our mission," Erhardt said. "This concert series is not only an opportunity to raise funds, but to raise awareness about Sojourner Recovery Services."
The concert dates will be on Feb. 3, March 30 and April 27, with the last date booked with Jazz signer/songwriter Kenny Rankin.
Contracts are being negotiated for the first two acts, said Mercy Hospital Fairfield spokesman Greg Ossmann. Although he wouldn't say who, he did say one was "one of the most influential groups of the 1960s" and the other is a nationally known country music group.
Erhardt said she would like to generate $20,000 for Sojourner with the fundraiser.
"This (chemical dependency and substance abuse) is truly is a disease. It's not a choice people make to be sick, and it probably affects most every family out there one way or another," Erhardt said.
CAC Manager Heidi Schiller is excited about the concert series.
"This is a step up with the programming we've put on here at the arts center, bringing in some nationally known acts," Schiller said. "It is something we hope to continue to do every year, and push the envelope to bring in these kinds of acts."
All concerts will begin at 8 p.m. and tickets are $22 for orchestra seating and $20 for all other seats.
Tickets can be purchased over the phone at 867-5348, online at www.fairfield-city.org, or at the CAC, 411 Wessel Drive. Box office hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to
1 p.m. Saturday.
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.
