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Charity of Choice: 2012 Ferndale Blues & Music Festival

(Crystal A. Proxmire, 1/6/2012)

This month The Ferndale 115 News is teaming up with the Ferndale Blues and Music Festival to raise money for the annual multi-venue event and the charities it helps support.

This will be the 11th year of the event which takes place the last week in January.  This year it’s from Jan 27-Feb 4, with concerts and events at nearly two dozen venues.  Sponsorships and donations help raise money, as do the blind blue pigs that can be found at each location.

This year’s festival will expand on the normal blues theme and add some other kinds of music in.

“This is Ferndale, we like to have variety and diversity, and it gives a chance for other local musicians to participate,” said Craig Covey, one of the event organizers and creators, about the addition of “Music” to the festival’s name.

Last year the Blues Festival raised about $19,000 for the charities.  Money went to Michigan AIDS Coalition (MAC) and Ferndale Youth Assistance (FYA).

MAC is one of Michigan’s largest non-profit, community-based organizations dedicated to health promotion, harm and risk reduction, HIV and sexually transmitted disease prevention education, grant making and public policy. MAC has conducted thousands of workshops and trainings, reaching over a half million people – 30,000 in the last year alone.

The mission of Ferndale Youth Assistance is to strengthen youth and families and prevent and reduce delinquency, neglect and abuse through volunteer involvement. Each year they send kids to various camps through scholarships so they can experience new things.

F YA offers free, voluntary and confidential counseling all year long to Ferndale School District families (including those in cities of Ferndale, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge and The Charter Township of Royal Oak) They take referrals from parents, teachers, court system or anyone concerned about a child’s welfare.

The Ferndale Blues and Music Festival gives the community a chance to have fun and get introduced to multiple bars, restaurants and gathering places, while still raising money for charity.

Those who would like to support these great causes from the comfort of your own couch or work chair are encouraged to donate to The Ferndale Blues and Music Festival through our website, using the link below:

As part of our Charity of Choice Program, The Ferndale 115 News combines fundraising efforts with a local group or project.  We pick a new cause each month and we split the donations with the cause.  We turn over 85% to the charity and keep 15% to help cover some of The Ferndale 115’s operating costs.  Any donation, no matter how large or small, is appreciated.  These are both grassroots community efforts that deserve, and depend on, the support of people like you.

The venues and artists have not been officially announced yet, but there will be updates as they become available.  The most up to date information can be found at the Ferndale Blues and Music Festival website at www.ferndalebluesfestival.org.

For more information about our Charity of Choice program, contact editor@ferndale115.com.

For more on the Ferndale Blues & Music Festival, go to www.ferndalebluesfestival.org.