Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies to present Virtual Showcase and Fundraiser

Published 1:57 pm Tuesday, May 5, 2020

 JOHNSON CITY – A Virtual Showcase and Fundraiser will be presented Thursday, May 7, to benefit East Tennessee State University’s ongoing Bucs Help Bucs campaign.

This showcase will feature a compilation of videos recorded by students and faculty in ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Program. It will begin at 7 p.m. on Facebook Live and will be hosted by program director Dan Boner.

The idea for students to submit videos for a virtual concert came from senior ETSU bluegrass majors Sophia Chambers, Mikaela Langley and Charly Smith.

During the virtual concert, viewers will be encouraged to support the Bucs Help Bucs effort, a current fundraising campaign to provide relief to ETSU students and employees who are experiencing hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donations to the Bucs Help Bucs campaign may be directed toward Student/Staff Emergency Funds, which provides financial assistance to those who experience an unexpected loss or hardship affecting their ability to remain at ETSU; Bucky’s Food Pantry, which aids those in need of food resources and raises awareness of food insecurity and hunger on the ETSU campus; or the ETSU Counseling Center, which provides a variety of services, including 24-hour counseling (in-person or electronic), access to psychiatric services, and tools and resources to help students.

To date, more than $70,000 has been raised in the campaign, which continues through May 22. Three hundred donors thus far include ETSU employees, students, parents, alumni and friends from at least six different states.

 To watch the show, go to https://www.facebook.com/etsubluegrass/live. To learn more about or give to the Bucs Help Bucs campaign, visit www.etsu.edu/bucs-help-bucs.