Local bands and Texas Tech comedy troupe Alternative Fuels plan on rocking the house Saturday night to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.
After struggling with the disease herself for five years, Event Coordinator Lisa McKinnon enlisted the aid of her son and his band to help find a way to raise money and awareness for the disease. Even before her diagnosis in 2005, she worked with the Parkinson’s Society of Lubbock because her mother suffered from the disease as well.
“I’ve been an advocate for it for a long time, but I’ve mainly geared my focus for it towards younger people because there’s no sense in gearing it towards 70-year-old people because they really can’t do anything, but younger people can,” McKinnon said. “They can bring awareness to the community about it, they can learn about it, and I think that’s where the cure is going to come from.”
Rock the House, Find a Cure will take place at the Lubbock Cooper Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night, tickets cost $5.50 in advance and $6.50 at the door.
The idea of a benefit concert came from her son’s band, Blind Fold Charlie, wanting to get involved in some kind of charity. Because the band knew members from other bands, they decided to reach out and ask for their support as well.
The bands playing include Blind Fold Charlie, Newest Flavor, The Warehouse Pilots and You Said It! Instead of the having the concert feature one genre of music, these groups all have different styles, said Blindfold Charlie guitarist Joe McKinnon, which will attract a larger audience and entertain a larger crowd.
“We’re really trying to appeal to our generation,” said Lathe Hinch, bassist for You Said It! “It’s just a really good cause and it’ll be a really fun deal.”
In between the bands, Lisa McKinnon wanted to bring in the improve troupe Alternative Fuels to keep the audience entertained, she said.
“I was trying to figure out someone to have in between bands and Joseph said, ‘What about Alternative Fuels?’” she said. “I thought it’s a great idea and got Tech involved.”
After the improv troupe performs, she plans to show videos about Parkinson’s disease and the Michael J. Fox foundation where all the proceeds will go. She said she hopes these videos will help people learn about the disease and how important it is to find a cure.
“I know that it affects more than just the people that have it,” Hinch said. “Just from talking to Joe about the concert, it’s not just a show to him, it’s more of a really cool benefit concert.”
The original goal was to sell $2,000 in tickets, but because of the partnership with Citibank, Lisa McKinnon said, the group already has raised $5,400. For two days, Citibank donated its ad space in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal to run advertisements for the concert.
“It’s going to be a sell out, so everybody needs to get their tickets because they’re selling fast,” she said.
One out of 10 people get Parkinson’s disease and it’s up to the younger generation to find a cure for it, Lisa McKinnon said.
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