Songs4Soldiers hosting ‘Night at the Ballpark’

Songs4Soldier’s Dustin Row (in back, at drums) and his band Where’s Charlie? perform during a past “Battle of the Bands” event at Busch Stadium. (submitted photo)

This year, Songs4Soldiers is taking it up a notch.

In addition to its September concert, the Songs4Soldiers team has added an event at Busch Stadium to raise more money for local veterans.

Songs4Soldiers is a not-for-profit organization founded by Columbia resident and military veteran Dustin Row that aims to help the living by honoring the dead through the gift of music.

“Songs4Soldiers Night at the Ballpark” on June 19 will feature a performance by Row’s band Where’s Charlie? at Ford Plaza inside Busch Stadium prior to the Cardinals game.

Kim Siegel, S4S’s assistant event planning coordinator, said tickets for the game are $20, half the face value price.

They’ve already sold more than 500 and are hoping for 1,000 total ticket sales.

“The entire ticket section is all in one area,” Siegel said. “It’ll be so fun to have everyone all together.”

Row added that Dan Reifschneider, owner of Reifschneider’s Grill & Grape, and his wife Heather played an integral part in getting this idea to move ahead.

“They, along with Budweiser, are our official sponsors this year,” he said.

Row said the Reifschneiders bought 100 tickets to the game and have donated them all the local Veterans Association so some local vets can attend the game for free.

The evening at the ballpark starts when the gates open at 5:15 p.m. Where’s Charlie? will play from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. before the game begins.

Five dollars of every ticket sale goes toward the Songs4Soldiers organization.

In addition to the night at the ballpark, this year’s benefit concert is scheduled for Sept. 6. For the concert’s second year, they’ve added a new band, Pettycash Junction, that plays all Johnny Cash and Tom Petty songs.

There will also be a video screen behind the stage to show sponsors and pictures of last year’s event and the veterans they have been able to help since then.

“There was so much wonderful energy from last year, and we really want to continue that,” Siegel said. “If we can sell another 1,000 tickets, that’s another $5,000 we can use to help a local veteran.”

The organization has been averaging about $3,000 to $4,000 for each area veteran they’ve been able to assist.

Songs4Soldiers has assisted Mathew Schlosser, a Special Forces veteran with severe PTSD who needed help with dental work; Alicia Pence, a National Guard veteran whose husband is awaiting trial for aggravated battery of their youngest son; and Thomas Mathew Rachels, an Iraq veteran who needed transportation to get to and from treatments at the VA a few times a week.

“We just want to help as many people as possible,” Siegel said. “It’s a great opportunity for everyone.”

To get more involved, help sponsor the concert, or to buy tickets to the game, contact Row via the Songs4Soldiers Facebook page or by emailing songs4soldiers@gmail.com

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