"Rockin' the Redwoods" Delivers

Dec. 14, 2010 - PRLog -- Monday morning, four young, community-minded adults came into the Ministry Support Office with big smiles on their faces. Jeff Gilman, Executive Director of the Redwood Gospel Mission, humbly accepted their check for $11,460 on behalf of the poor and needy in Sonoma County.

Last week the Russian River Brewing Company hosted the first-annual "Rockin' the Redwoods" musical event to a packed house with patrons spilling onto the sidewalk out front. An estimated 200 were in attendance to hear Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, Jeff Carlisi, Will Evankovich, and Joe Shaughnessy, hammer out some classic rock-and-roll.

The entire donation from tickets sales for the sold-out concert and a portion of the day's sales were combined to total the generous amount delivered by Jack & Mollie Blades, Will Evankovich, and Natalie Cilurzo.

This event was the brain-child of Mollie, Jack & Will. They looked to Natalie, Co-Owner of the Brewing Co., when seeking the perfect venue because of her demonstrated generosity to local causes in the past. "In October we did some fundraising for the Sutter Breast Care Center of Santa Rosa," says Natalie "So, when they came to me with their idea, I was on-board immediately."

The Blades became acquainted with the Redwood Gospel Mission by volunteering to help at outreach events such as the upcoming Christmas Celebration. "We had no idea that the event would be so widely publicized and attended," confesses Jeff Gilman. "We just knew that a couple of musicians wanted to hold a fundraiser. We were not part of the promotion...just the appreciative recipient representing the poor among us."

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Founded in 1963, the Redwood Gospel Mission mobilizes our community to minister to the needy so that lives are transformed. Services include: Men's Shelter, Women/children Shelter, Men & Women Residential Recovery, Thrift Store, and Outreach Events.