B.B. King and Kirschner Concerts helped NAMI Vermont raise awareness about mental illness and over $12,000 Sunday, at a sold-out concert on the Flynn Mainstage. President/CEO Wendy Beinner and Board Chair Karen Kelley from the Vermont Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness took the stage to thank concert-goers for their support, and told the 1,400 concert-goers that “1 in 4 adults lives with mental illness. NAMI Vermont is here to offer support, education and advocacy. You are not alone!”
One high point was when the King asked the crowd to sing along for “You Are My Sunshine,” playfully teasing, “Oh, say it like you mean it!” He drew laughs during the number by asking the women in the crowd to kiss someone: “I don’t care who you kiss. And guys, if you want a kiss, you better pucker!”
After the show, the King of the Blues spent some time talking with Wendy and Karen about NAMI VT, and posing for pictures. “The evening was magical!”, says Ms. Beinner. NAMI Vermont is primarily funded by a grant from the Vermont Department of Mental Health, but fundraising efforts like the B.B. King concert allow the organization to meet community needs in an ailing mental health system. In addition to funds raised, the concert provided a perfect opportunity to reach a wider audience of 1,411 concert-goers about mental health issues and how they can get involved.
At the end of the evening, Concert promoter Buddy Kirschner, commented on how happy he was to have been able to work with NAMI Vermont on this endeavor, which was two years in the making! Mr. Kirschner began discussions with Ms. Beinner in the fall of 2011 about the possibility of a benefit concert. NAMI VT could not have been more pleased to have such an innovative and popular fundraiser, and they certainly couldn’t be more pleased with the results. “We were all biting our nails hoping for a sellout” says NAMI VT Development Director Jana Beagely. “We are overjoyed.”
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