downtown
Band Together volunteers: Holding the guitar are two of the group’s co-founders, Tom Lyon and Danny Rosin.
BAND TOGETHER With nine years under their belts, these guys know how to throw a party – and give the money away. BY christA gAlA
“
“
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime ~ Chinese Proverb
I
n the days after September 11th, four guys in their early thirties gathered to watch the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Like nearly every American, they wanted desperately to do something to help. “We felt like there were other people who were feeling the same way in our circle of friends,” says Danny Rosin, 42. The group thought it would be a good idea to gather friends for a wine tasting, charge $100, and send the proceeds to the survivors’ fund. They hoped to raise about $5,000. But the idea of a backyard wine tasting quickly turned into a fullfledged concert that raised a whopping $60,000 with more than 1,000 attendees. Several New York City firefighters
attended as guests of honor. That first annual event was called “Band Together for Our Heroes.” The name stuck, and nine years later Band Together, a non-profit organization, is still going strong. In addition to Danny Rosin, there are three other co-founders: Phil Gruber, Tom Lyon and Skip Mangum, all in their early forties. Four entrepreneurs and music lovers who, for a few months each year, put their own lives and businesses on hold to host what Rosin says is the largest charitable concert in the state of North Carolina. It’s a pretty simple concept, really: an outdoor concert with great music BY from diverse bands, drinks and CHRISTA GALA dancing – all for a good cause.
112 | midtownmag.com
mm 112-115 band together.indd 1
4/27/10 12:01:03 PM