By Tom Flanigan
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-985276.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – There will be many events this Sunday in memory of Nine-Eleven. Tom Flanigan reports one Tallahassee happening will certainly look back, but will be even more focused on looking ahead.
It began when two Tallahassee musical legends started talking about putting on some kind of concert connected with the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Del Suggs says he and Pam Laws suddenly had an idea
"We began to look around and realized there are a lot of National Guard folks and a lot of reservists who live here in town and who are actually deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq. And there are also a lot of families here whose husbands and/or wives are overseas in the military who are stationed at a base, but come here while their families are overseas. And so she wanted to do something to take care of these folks, recognize them and to raise some funds to support them. So we got together with the Red Cross and put together this show for September Eleventh."
Suggs says the nearly non-stop deployments are tough on both the military personnel and their families.
"It's a terrible hardship on families and the fact that there's no local support system for these families is even worse. I mean, imagine if you're at a military base and you go through multiple deployments. At least you've got your fellow other family members, other families around you that are in the same situation. But folks who are reservists or folks from the National Guard here in Tallahassee, they don't have that support system."
The closest thing to that, Suggs says, is the Red Cross.
"They have some financial fundings that they can do to help folks out who come up short because of the salary issues involved. They've got some programs to help soldiers re-integrate back into society when they come back from deployment to help their families adjust. So there's just a plethora of support that are in place, but of course they need funding. So this whole benefit concert is to raise funds for that."
Although Suggs and Laws are old friends and musical colleagues, this performance will be the first of its kind for both of them
"And we're real excited about that, because Pam is going to do a set by herself with David Metter backing her up on the piano. I'm going to do a set by myself and then we're going to come out together and do a short set, just the two of us. And Pam and I have never performed just the two of us together. We've been part of larger shows, but we're really excited about putting together a set of material just the two of us. It's going to be a real treat."
The Night for Heroes concert takes place in a room that has some of the best acoustics in the area.
"The venue is the Chiles High School auditorium, which is a beautiful facility and we're so grateful that Allen Cox and the folks at Chiles High School have donated this auditorium to us."
Since Monday is a workday, Suggs says Sunday night's performance won't go past most folks' bedtimes.
"The show is early. It's from six til eight. Tickets are available from the Tallahassee Red Cross, from their office, or you can go online at tallyredcross.org'. They're also available at Beethoven and Company out at Market Square. So we have several different ticket outlets available and we just hope to fill the room, have a wonderful time to celebrate their families and to give them some love and support and also to raise some money so that the Red Cross can really step forward and help these families out."
A positive and tangible way of honoring those who have served and sacrificed during the past ten years.