The North Georgia community can step back in time while simultaneously supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation at an upcoming concert at the Boot Barn Hall in Gainesville.
The Gainesville Get Up concert will be held March 9 at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m.
The event is being described as a dance party time machine featuring a rotation of headlining bands, including Brock Butler of Perpetual Groove.
"We're going to be playing hits from the past so that we can give these kids a great future," Dave Lawson, producer of the inaugural concert, said. "I've got a big funk band from Atlanta - Entropy. We're going to have a rotation of other artists jumping on stage playing hits from Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, Aretha Franklin - you name it, we're going to be playing it."
The event will also feature a silent auction, which opens at 5 p.m. All proceeds from the event go toward the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a nonprofit organization that helps fill the wishes of children with critical illnesses, such as cancer, between the ages of 2 1/2 and 18 years old.
Lawson said he got involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation after he was asked to help a Make-A-Wish kid about four and a half years ago.
"All he wanted to do was just have lunch and talk about pro wrestling," Lawson said. "My life changed for the better that day. We became best friends and I dedicated myself to trying to do a little better for the world by becoming a wish granter with Make-A-Wish. I just started working with families that are going through some struggles with cancer and other diseases."
Lawson said he raised a lot of funds in 2023 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and wanted to up the ante for 2024. Thus, the idea of the Gainesville Get Up Concert was born.
"It's actually been proven that kids that go through the Make-A-Wish program and ... see all this great positivity, they have a sincerely higher chance of surviving their illness," Lawson said. "Just being able to give them a little pat on the back and a little boost and show them that they are cared for and loved is probably one of the most honorable things you can do."
Find out more information about the Gainesville Get Up Concert by clicking here. Early bird ticket pricing is available until Feb. 5. Tickets can be purchased here.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the event can reach Dave at [email protected].
