This Friday, Nov. 7, The United Way of Boyertown is hoping lightening will strike again at Boyertown’s Junior High West when the curtain goes up for local country artist Stephanie Grace’s “Life’s Okay” concert.
Last year’s concert, remembered as an outstanding success, raised more than $3,000 for the United Way. When asked, Grace quickly lists last year’s Junior High West show as one of the most fun shows she’s done.
“It started out so rough, the mic kept cutting out, so it looked like I was lip-synching,” she recalled “And they had these big screens rolled up on the ceiling, one fell down during the first song and almost hit my bass player. He just kept on playing. The crowd was just so into it. There was a bunch of kids, they all came up to the stage and were high-fiving me and I was taking their cameras and taking pictures–it was just really hyped, I mean the energy was insane.”
This energy was captured in the video for Grace’s song “Loser.”
“Many people think it was staged, but the concert scenes were from the actual concert! The whole band was rocking out,” said Grace. “It wasn’t like a concert, it was just like a big party.”
The winners at this event, besides the fans, are the many benefactors of the Boyertown United Way.
The Boyertown Multi-Service, the Visiting Nurse Association, the Salvation Army, Scout Troops and local emergency services were among those to receive support from the monies raised by the United Way through events and donations.
“Before I got involved, I wasn’t familiar with what the United Way did,” says Grace. She quickly learned what they do for people in need and for the community.
“Last year we raised over $3000, which was super cool, so we’re hoping we can at least match that,” she said of this year’s show. She noted another, more subtle, goal of raising awareness of the United Way in general.
When asked about her civic mindedness, Grace smiles. Her answer, which may be a bit cliche, is without a doubt, heartfelt and earnest: “I just feel that when you’re blessed enough to have this talent-this gift-that you need to find a way to give back,” adding that since so many people like music-she likes to use it to raise awareness. “I feel it’s an obligation to my community, because they’ve been so supportive.”
Organized by the Boyertown Area High School Key Club, Junior High East and West Student Councils, the concert is open to the public and kicks off this Friday at the Boyertown Junior High West. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., concert starts at 7 p.m. For advanced tickets, contact the United Way of Boyertown at 610-367-8716 or visit their office on Philadelphia Ave. in Boyertown. Tickets will also be available at the door.
