VERY SEAT IN THE PACIFIC YARD HOUSE IN DOWNTOWN CONROE WAS SOLD SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE COMMUNITY CAME OUT FOR A BENEFIT CONCERT THAT WILL SUPPORT LOCAL CHARITIES AND FIREFIGHTERS OVERCOMING OBSTACLES. ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUSINESS GROUPS, MUSIC LOVERS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS COULD BE SEEN LAUGHING AND DANCING AT THE 2018 FIRE UP THE BANDS, WHICH FEATURED THE JOSH FULLER BAND, ZAC WILKERSON, CORY MORROW AND THE DIRTY RIVER BOYS. THE BENEFIT CONCERT SPARKED IN 2011 AS A WAY FOR THE CONROE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION TO RAISE MONEY FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE CONROE AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMUNITIES. “I THINK IT’S A FUN ENVIRONMENT AND A GREAT CAUSE I LOVE TO SUPPORT,” SAID BRANDI PERRY WHO SAT WITH MILSTEAD AUTOMOTIVE AS ONE OF THE BANDS PLAYED ON STAGE. WHILE IN PREVIOUS YEARS THE EVENT HAS BEEN RAINED OUT, CONROE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT AND CONROE FIRE DEPARTMENT LT. LLOYD SANDEFER SHARED THE EVENT DID NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE RAIN OR HEAT. PREVIOUSLY HELD AT PAPA’S ON THE LAKE, ORGANIZERS MOVED THE LOCATION TO PACIFIC YARD HOUSE AT 101 METCALF, AND CHANGED THE FORMAT TO PROVIDE SPONSOR TABLES PACKAGES THAT INCLUDE DINNER AND AN OPEN BAR HAPPY HOUR. SANDEFER DESCRIBED IT AS A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH PROFESSIONAL SOUND AND IS CONSIDERING HOSTING THE EVENT AT PACIFIC YARD HOUSE AGAIN NEXT YEAR. “IT’S GREAT FOR PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE PACIFIC YARD HOUSE AND OUR CAPABILITIES WITH THE TEXAS MUSIC SCENE,” MIKE JONES WITH THE PACIFIC YARD HOUSE SAID. “MOST OF ALL IT GOES TOWARD OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, SO GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR THAT IS AMAZING.” LAST YEAR, THE EVENT HELPED GIVE BACK ABOUT $20,000 TO THE CONROE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS POST. IN AN EFFORT TO RE-BRAND THE ANNUAL EVENT, THIS YEAR THE 2018 FIRE UP THE BANDS WILL BENEFIT THE UNION’S NEW CONROE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS FOUNDATION, 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, THAT STARTED IN MARCH 2018. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR THEM TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY TEN-FOLD IN PROGRAMS SUCH AS COATS FOR KIDS, CANCER CHARITIES AND THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY LIVESTOCK SHOW AND AUCTION. IT WILL ALSO SUPPORT A BENEVOLENCE FUND THAT NOW FALLS UNDER THE UNION’S NEW NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. “THE CONROE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION IS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE GREATEST PUBLIC SERVANTS RIGHT NOW IN THE CONROE AREA, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY THE CHARITABLE GROUPS THAT THEY GIVE TO IS SO IMPORTANT AND THAT IS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT,” SAID FIRST FINANCIAL BANK PRESIDENT, CHAIRMAN, AND CEO SAM BAKER WHO IS A TITLE SPONSOR FOR THE EVENT EACH YEAR. WITH THE HELP OF SPONSORS AND LONGTIME SUPPORTERS LIKE BAKER, SANDEFER SAID ABOUT 200 SEATS WERE SOLD WITH AN ADDITIONAL 50 STANDING ROOM SEATS TO RAISE AT LEAST $14,500 IN TICKET SALES FOR SATURDAY’S EVENT, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE ESTIMATED $10,000-$12,000 RAISED IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THAT TOTAL IS EXPECTED TO BE HIGHER ONCE THE AUCTION IS TALLIED THAT INCLUDED ABOUT 20 ITEMS INCLUDING BARBECUE PITS, AUTOGRAPHED GUITARS, AND HOUSTON ASTROS MEMORABILIA. “WITHIN THE PAST 18 MONTHS WE HAVE HAD THREE FIREFIGHTERS HOUSE CATCH ON FIRE, WE’VE HAD SIX FIREFIGHTERS FLOOD AND AFFECTED BY HARVEY, WE’VE HAD TWO OF OUR FIRE FIGHTERS’ WIVES DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER, SO WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BACK TO OUR OWN MEMBERS AND PERSONAL EMERGENCIES (THROUGH THE BENEVOLENCE FUND),” SANDEFER SAID SHARING HE WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE SUPPORT. “THAT’S ANOTHER THING THIS IS GOING TO HELP WITH. WE WILL BE ABLE TO REPLENISH THOSE FUNDS AND MAKE IT A STRONGER BENEVOLENCE FOR OUR FIREFIGHTER FAMILIES HERE IN CONROE.” SINCE 2011, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN GIVEN BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING TO THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY YOUTH SERVICES AND THE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION, THROUGH FIRE UP THE BANDS. “LLOYD AND ALL OF HIS GUYS DO A GREAT JOB PUTTING THIS TOGETHER EVERY YEAR AND THIS YEAR IS NO EXCEPTION—IT’S THE BEST SO FAR,” SAID POLITICAL CONSULTANT MELANIE SCHOETTLE WITH MOXIE INNOVATIVE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL CONROEFIREFIGHTERSFOUNDATION@GMAIL.COM OR VISIT HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/FIREUPTHEBANDS/. MELLSWORTH@HCNONLINE.COM HTTPS://WWW.YOURCONROENEWS.COM/NEIGHBORHOOD/MOCO/NEWS/ARTICLE/2018-FIRE-UP-THE-BANDS-RAISES-OVER-15K-FOR-13078990.PHP#PHOTO-15874378