Naples, FL USA – Naples residents Jennifer Parisi, Ira Dean, Ashley Gerry and Chris Lombardo recently organized a sold out, star-studded concert directly benefitting hurricane Ian victims.
On Thursday, December 1st at Hertz Arena, “Boots on the Sand” rocked the house with big name headliner, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group Lynyrd Skynyrd, and featured performances by Ted Nugent, Ira Dean, John Rich, Gavin DeGraw, Brian Kelley, Tracy Lawrence, and RaeLynn. The event was hosted by Comedian Jim Breuer.
Boots on the Sand, Inc., a Florida non-profit corporation, is dedicated to the recovery of Southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, noteworthy as one of the top five most devastating storms in US history. All concert proceeds will be distributed to Volunteer Florida and the Collier Community Foundation, the Charlotte Community Foundation and the Collaboratory.
Organizer Ms. Parisi states, “We split our time between Naples and Nashville, and when we saw firsthand the devastation, we felt we had to help. The support we received from everyone was incredible.” Together, Ira and Jennifer contacted friends and colleagues and with the help of a team of approximately 12 people, were able to organize and pull off an extraordinary event in only 45 days, all in the name of giving.
Local businesses sponsored and underwrote the costs of the event and through their generosity, big name talent came to Estero for a magical night, proof that many hands working together can pull off amazing feats and unify people for a common cause. All of the artists donated their time and talent. Organizer Mr. Lombardo said, “The arena was energized by the incredible performances of each and every artist. As a community, the heartfelt outpouring of support from the artists means more than we can express.”
Through connections with local non-profits, churches, the local police and fire departments, 500 tickets were earmarked for individual victims who suffered catastrophic losses to attend the concert for free to enable them to, as Ms. Parisi states, “…take their mind off the tragedy and have an enjoyable night, if only for a few hours.”
For more information, please contact:
Vicki Tracy, (239) 572-3799 or Vicki@gcipnaples.com