What do you get when you bring together an interim dean, two faculty members, a research director, and a former development dean along with their musical instruments? Well, if you happened to stop by Long Branch Park in Liverpool this past Sunday, you’d have had a rockin’ good time.
The iBand from the School of Information Studies (iSchool) was on hand to play for the Upstate New York Chapter of the ALS Association’s Lowell Smith Walk to Defeat ALS.
The chapter is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding the cause of and cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating and fatal neuromuscular disease that is also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
The financial cost to families of persons with ALS can be up to $250,000 per year, depleting savings of patients and their relatives. The ALS Association is funded solely by donations, and the chapter offers all services to people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and their families free of charge.
Sunday’s event in the park was a major fundraiser for the organization, and this is the fourth year in a row that the iBand has helped support the chapter by donating its musical services and equipment. This year, the band played one extended set through the two-and-a-half hour event for a crowd of more than 300 walkers, their family members and supporters.
The iBand is the house band for the iSchool, and specializes in classic rock from the 1960s through the 1990s, as well as performing original tunes. The iBand plays at school and campus parties, community events, and benefit concerts around the Syracuse area.
Sunday’s performance included interim dean Jeff Stanton on the bass guitar, associate professor of practice Dave Molta on guitar, professor Jason Dedrick on the keyboard, director of the office of sponsored programs Stuart Taub on drums, and former assistant dean for advancement Paul Brenner on guitar.
The ALS Association is the only national nonprofit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers and fostering government partnerships, the association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about the ALS Association, visit http://www.alsaupstateny.org.
From left to right: Paul Brenner, Jason Dedrick, Stuart Taub (drums), Dave Molta, and Jeff Stanton.