BOYERTOWN >> Everyone wants their children to have a safe place to enjoy being a kid.
That’s why Thunder Outreach and Thrivent Financial of Boyertown will be hosting this year’s Heaven’s Thunder Band Inspiring Hope Benefit concert at the State Theater, 61 North Reading Ave. Boyertown, on Saturday Nov. 11.
The concert, which begins at 7 p.m., will benefit SAFEBerks (formerly Berks Women in Crisis) programs, specifically to update the children’s play area.
“It is vital for all children to have access to a clean and safe place to play,” said Mary Kay Bernosky, chief executive officer of Safe Berks. “Children coming from families torn apart by domestic abuse have even a greater need for access to an environment where they can experience individual and group play in a safe space. We are thrilled to be selected as the beneficiary of the Thunder Outreach benefit concert Nov. 11, to help us provide this for our children at the Safe House.”
The goal of the event is to raise $12,000 needed to repair and update the children’s play area with a rubber mat base. The facility, 255 Chestnut St., Reading, has a 30-foot-by-37-foot playground area for the children residing at the shelter. Normally there are between 15-21 children in residence at any given time, according to Thunder Outreach.
Thunder Outreach Ministries is a 501c3 faith based community program that works with community churches, businesses and departments for outreach programs to fit the community’s needs.
“Our goal this year is to make this area safer for our little ones. The children play hard and falls sometimes happen. Right now the surface is somewhat hard. We have been covering the area with mulch over the last several years, but that is expensive, it doesn’t last and it doesn’t provide the best cushioning,” said a statement from Thunder Outreach. “The $12,000 price tag for the tile system is totally out of our reach and we are hoping to raise the money needed to make this playground safe and special for our children.”
Doors for the benefit concert will open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $20. Those who can’t attend the benefit concert but want to help can purchase a rubber pad block for $15 each at www.ThunderOutreach.com.
