Bluegrass Benefits Wounded Soldiers!

Proceeds Go To Fischer House!

The first of many different marathon jams has been announced by WNGJ (Wednesday Night Garage Jammers) who will hold their 2nd Annual "Mostly Bluegrass" Marathon Jam on Saturday Feb 26th 2011, from noon till midnight, at the American Legion Post 276, 8068 Quarterfield Rd, Severn MD 21144. Free Admission. This is a 12 hour marathon jam session to benefit Fisher House Foundation.

"A Fisher House is "a home away from home" for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. The homes are normally located within walking distance of the treatment facility or have transportation available. There are 43 Fisher Houses, with several under construction."


In years past, several marathon jams were held simultaneously at up to 15 different cities around the country and two years ago becoming an international event with soldiers themselves taking part at their post of duty in Baghdad Iraq.  This years Marathon Jam is scheduled for:

Saturday, February 26, 2011  --  1:00 PM to 1:00 AM

The first Marathon Jam years ago was begun by bluegrass picker and author John Santa in Raleigh Durham, NC.  It was a grass-roots effort that spread due to readers of his book wanting to participate but not able due to travel distances.  That's when Santa came up with the idea of multiple Marathon Jams all happening simultaneously.When John Santa set out to write his first book, Bluegrass Is My Second Language: A Year In The Life Of An Accidental Bluegrass Musician, he had no idea that book would turn him into an international fund raiser.

One of the things he wrote about is an annual fund raiser held by a informal musical jam group Santa founded called the RDU (Raleigh /Durham) Session Players.   Eight years ago, after the group had been meeting for over a decade someone said they bet the group knew so many songs they could probably play a whole day and never repeat a single tune!

"That seemed like a challenge AND a great idea," Santa said,"so we gathered and played, and while we DID repeat a few songs that day, we played for over TWELVE STRAIGHT HOURS! It was a blast, just about a prefect day but on the way home at two in the morning I found myself thinking the only thing that would have made the day better was if we had gotten people to sponsor us for each hour we played and given that money to charity."

Baghdad Bad Boys serving at Camp 

Victory, Baghdad, Iraq participating in

Marathon Jam

It was the addition of Baghdad, Iraq that turned Santa from fundraiser to INTERNATIONAL fundraiser.

Turns out when one of the RDU Session Jammers,  Lt. Col. Greg Rawlings, got to Baghdad, one of the first things he did was unpack his guitar and start looking for other musicians to play with. 

   

When Rawlins heard the Session Players were going to play for Fisher House again, he promptly began making plans for a Jam to take place at the same time from Camp Victory, Iraq.   The soldiers still being on "Active Duty there played as much as possible at the same time as players here in the states given the differences in times and dates and their duties in Iraq. 

Each year the event has grown both in size and amount of funds raised.  Last year Santa estimates more than 30 thousand dollars was raised.  Exact figures are not always possible according to Santa because contributions continue to come in long after the Marathon Jam event is over.  Santa says the Fisher House administration tells him even more important than the funds is the national awareness his marathon jams have given The Fischer House organization.

Monies donated to Fischer House go to the programs that help military families.  According to their website 96% of all revenue goes directly into programs with only 2% used for administration costs and another 2% for fundraising activities. 

What can you do to help?

1. Participate in a local Jam if you can.
2. Start up a Jam if you need to and invite others to join you  (contact John Santa for specific details before proceeding).
3. Go to a Jam and become the number one cheerleader if you don't pick.
4.  Is music just not your gift?  If that's the case, you can sponsor someone else to play during the Marathon Jam. All you have to do is fill out a Pledge Form and designate an amount per hour for that musician. When you've completed the form, give it to your sponsored musician, or mail it to:

Whit Kenney

Marathon Jam

608 Gaston Street

Raleigh, NC 27603

 If nothing else, write a Tax Deductible check for any amount to the Fischer House.

Donations can be made online at: https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=780
or mailed to: 

Fisher House Foundation, Inc.

111 Rockville Pike, Suite 420

Rockville, MD 20850-5168 

Make checks payable to: Fisher House Foundation.  Include this Printable Donation Form - please type using Acrobat Reader.

Fisher House Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code. Donations are tax deductible to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Read More about the Marathon Jam