Artists perform at Winnekenni Park during a previous Rock Out! Cookout. (Courtesy photograph)
The Haverhill High School band needs new uniforms and The Steve Lyons Fund, recognized as the 2017 Art and Culture Business of the Year by the Haverhill Chamber of Commerce, is trying to help get them.
The Steve Lyons Fund is a charitable organization founded in 2007 in memory of Steve Lyons, a Haverhill music lover who died in a tragic accident at the age of 23. His family and friends launched SLF that same year to honor his memory by giving back to the community he loved and supporting local youth as they pursue their musical passions.
The annual Rock Out! Cookout at Winnekenni Park, being held this year on Saturday, Aug. 25 from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m., has raised more than $20,000 to date. Past beneficiaries include the Haverhill High School Fine Arts Department, Haverhill Girls Inc., The Sad Cafe, Massachusetts Special Olympics and The Boy Scouts of America.
This year, the SLF has teamed up with Haverhill High School Band Director Dean Tsiriopoulas to raise money for new band uniforms.
Tsiriopoulas is credited with negotiating an agreement with the same company that supplies sports uniforms, leveraging that buying power to secure a price of about $16,000 for full replacement of the band uniforms.
The students and families have already raised $3,000 and the Haverhill School Committee has agreed to pay up the difference after all fundraising efforts are complete.