GSA partners with Philipsburg’s Summer Concert
4/23/2019 10:11:00 AM | General, GSA
Philipsburg, Mont. — It's been a decade since the town of Philipsburg inaugurated its new downtown concert arena with a fundraising event. Since that 2010 premiere, headlined by Montana's Mission Mountain Wood Band, the annual August concert and auction have become the community's biggest fundraiser.
This year four bands will take the stage starting at noon on Saturday, August 17. And for its tenth anniversary event the Philipsburg Rotary is partnering with Grizzly Athletics and the Grizzly Scholarship Association to expand the appeal of the concert and its fundraising targets.
"Of our nine previous concerts our most successful were when we partnered with the University and did the Aber Day Reunions," said 2019 Concert Chair Jim Jenner. "So, our Rotary Club felt it would be appropriate to reach out to the Griz again since this is our tenth annual."
The option to partner with the popular summer event was not lost on University officials.
"We jumped at it", said Greg Sundberg, Executive Director of the Grizzly Scholarship Association, "Some of our major donors have also been involved with the Philipsburg event and their Rotary folks, and they told us what a terrific family event they put on. Previously they worked with our Alumni office and helped them raise quite a bit of money so we were delighted when they thought of the GSA."
According to Sundberg the two non-profits will split the revenue from ticket sales with half going to Grizzly athletic scholarships and the other half to the Rotary Club for Granite County charities they work with. Adult tickets go on sale May 1, will be $25 in advance, and will be sold at www.griztix.com.
"It's going to be a great time because Philipsburg is central to so many of our alums, friends and supporters around the state. I expect a lot of people will use this as a chance to meet up with old friends at the end of summer." said Sundberg.
Gates will open at 11 a.m. and the concert will start at noon with Ryan Chrys and the Rough Cuts from Denver kicking off the show. They will be followed by Missoula's popular Shakewell and then Home Cookin', a legendary cover band from Butte. There will be 16 auction items sold between band intermissions and Bozeman's Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, recently featured on PBS, will close the show from 5:30 to 7PM.
Since the arena's capacity is limited to 3,000 attendees the organizers expect ticket sales to be brisk. The arena itself is a terraced grassy sidehill and concert goers are encouraged to bring their own chair or a blanket. The venue has a brand-new stage, inaugurated last year, and the grass arena, which doubles as an NHL-sized refrigerated hockey rink in the winter, is ringed with food vendors and beverage tents. The acoustics are excellent according to previous attendees. Free parking and shuttles are offered at several entrances to town. Concert goes are given a wrist band and are permitted to leave the venue and walk the half block into the historic downtown if they choose. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
According to Jenner, fundraisers at the new park have generated more than a quarter million dollars to first improve the ice rink and concert arena and then for local charitable projects. Beneficiaries have included the local hospital, library, school, city parks and many others.
"It's a tremendous amount of entertainment for $25 and all the net proceeds, the tickets, the food and beverages, the auction, it all goes to charity," said Jenner.
Additional information on the concert, lodging and other items can be found at www.philipsburgrotary.org/summerconcert.
This year four bands will take the stage starting at noon on Saturday, August 17. And for its tenth anniversary event the Philipsburg Rotary is partnering with Grizzly Athletics and the Grizzly Scholarship Association to expand the appeal of the concert and its fundraising targets.
"Of our nine previous concerts our most successful were when we partnered with the University and did the Aber Day Reunions," said 2019 Concert Chair Jim Jenner. "So, our Rotary Club felt it would be appropriate to reach out to the Griz again since this is our tenth annual."
The option to partner with the popular summer event was not lost on University officials.
"We jumped at it", said Greg Sundberg, Executive Director of the Grizzly Scholarship Association, "Some of our major donors have also been involved with the Philipsburg event and their Rotary folks, and they told us what a terrific family event they put on. Previously they worked with our Alumni office and helped them raise quite a bit of money so we were delighted when they thought of the GSA."
According to Sundberg the two non-profits will split the revenue from ticket sales with half going to Grizzly athletic scholarships and the other half to the Rotary Club for Granite County charities they work with. Adult tickets go on sale May 1, will be $25 in advance, and will be sold at www.griztix.com.
"It's going to be a great time because Philipsburg is central to so many of our alums, friends and supporters around the state. I expect a lot of people will use this as a chance to meet up with old friends at the end of summer." said Sundberg.
Gates will open at 11 a.m. and the concert will start at noon with Ryan Chrys and the Rough Cuts from Denver kicking off the show. They will be followed by Missoula's popular Shakewell and then Home Cookin', a legendary cover band from Butte. There will be 16 auction items sold between band intermissions and Bozeman's Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs, recently featured on PBS, will close the show from 5:30 to 7PM.
Since the arena's capacity is limited to 3,000 attendees the organizers expect ticket sales to be brisk. The arena itself is a terraced grassy sidehill and concert goers are encouraged to bring their own chair or a blanket. The venue has a brand-new stage, inaugurated last year, and the grass arena, which doubles as an NHL-sized refrigerated hockey rink in the winter, is ringed with food vendors and beverage tents. The acoustics are excellent according to previous attendees. Free parking and shuttles are offered at several entrances to town. Concert goes are given a wrist band and are permitted to leave the venue and walk the half block into the historic downtown if they choose. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
According to Jenner, fundraisers at the new park have generated more than a quarter million dollars to first improve the ice rink and concert arena and then for local charitable projects. Beneficiaries have included the local hospital, library, school, city parks and many others.
"It's a tremendous amount of entertainment for $25 and all the net proceeds, the tickets, the food and beverages, the auction, it all goes to charity," said Jenner.
Additional information on the concert, lodging and other items can be found at www.philipsburgrotary.org/summerconcert.
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