Lions Club's fundraising concert Saturday at Rodgers

Tickets remain for the Poplar Bluff Lions Club’s third annual fundraising concert to be held Saturday night at the Rodgers Theatre.

This year’s “Roarin’ at the Rodgers” will feature the John D. Hale Band, the Brothers Walker and Alex Riffle and The Stiff Riffs. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with performances to begin at 7 p.m.

“We are excited about this year’s lineup,” said Lions Club member Steve Walsh. “John D. Hale, John, himself, is from Jackson and has a following in” Southeast Missouri.

The Brothers Walker from Bernie have “always been very popular,” Walsh said.

General admission tickets are $15 and VIP tickets, which include preferred seating, food and drinks, are $35.

The VIP ticket includes “adult beverages” from Will Fischer Distributing and Kohlfeld Distributing, as well as “much as you want to eat from different restaurants in town,” Walsh said.

Fazoli’s, Exotic Grill, Hardees, Colton’s Steakhouse and the Lemonade House Grille will be among those providing food Saturday, along with the Lions Club.

The club will be offering what member Brad Barwick described as “blue-ribbon chili,” as well as gourmet toppings for bratwursts, hot dogs and polish sausages.

A silent auction, Barwick said, will be set up in the lobby.

Furniture pieces from Hefner Furniture and Appliance, a guitar from Hays Music Store, a jewelry item from Whitworth’s Gift Chest Jewelers and a 100 gallons of fuel from Tracy Edington’s Money Mizer are just a few of the silent auction items up for bid, Barwick and Walsh said.

The night offers “three quality groups … you get a full evening of good, quality music and refreshments, and it’s all for a good cause,” Walsh said.

The concert is one of the club’s major fundraisers for the year. Last year, about 500 were in attendance.

“For over 30 years, our major fundraiser was the cable TV auction,” Walsh explained. “Interest kind of dwindled the last few years, so we put on our thinking caps … what can we do?

“ … A concert would be a win-win. We could benefit the Rodgers.”

Some of the money, Walsh said, goes to the Rodgers Theatre.

“And, of course, we had Alex Riffle and The Stiff Riffs we could work with,” said Walsh. “We donate our time and energy.”

The purpose of the evening, according to Barwick, is to have an “enjoyable, entertaining evening,” but the “proceeds go to support the efforts of the Lions Club and our vision program.”

The club’s vision program, Barwick said, buys eyeglasses for school children with sight issues.

“The schools report to us children who are in need of glasses, who can’t see the blackboard,” Barwick explained. “We will then look at their application, and based on need, pay for all their expenses involving the examination and the glasses.”

Seeing the patients are Lions Club members, Dr. Kylie Divine of Divine Family Eye Care and Dr. Teri Page of Pearle Vision.

“They are the two (doctors) that do the eye services for us,” Barwick said. “We also will refer people to Memphis and pay for eye surgery, if necessary, at no cost to them.”

The funds, Walsh said, also support the Leader Dogs for the Blind program.

“We actually purchase the dog, train them and hook them up in training with their blind person,” Walsh said.

Tickets may be purchased in advance from any Lions Club member, Myrtle’s Place Back Alley BBQ, Hays Music and the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce or online at rodgerstheatre.org. Tickets also will be available at the door.