Freelend Security and Associates and Katering to All Types of Events and Services are teaming up to host the first annual Bring A Stop to Huntington’s benefit event April 30 at Jupiter Bar.
BASH is a benefit concert dedicated to bringing awareness to Huntington’s disease. FSA and KATES worked with the Huntington’s Disease Society of America to bring this event to life.
Amber Eaves, a manager at KATES and a senior majoring in human development and family studies, said the event company was looking to get involved in a philanthropic project.
“We’re just kind of starting up this year. This is our first big bash that we’re throwing,” she said. “It’s for a good cause, so what better way to start out?”
KATES partnered with Freelend Security and Associates, who were also looking for a way to give back to the community. Jon Freelend, FSA’s president, said the event will serve as a way to teach people about a relatively unknown disease.
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“I hope that we just bring awareness and some money,” Freelend said. “Mainly I want people to come and know that [Huntington’s] is out there.”
According to the HDSA website, Huntington’s disease is a non-curable hereditary and degenerative brain disorder, which slowly diminishes the affected individual’s ability to walk, think, talk and reason. More than a quarter million Americans have been diagnosed or have a risk of inheriting the disease.
The event hits close to home for Corey Chapman, vice president of FSA. Chapman’s wife and mother-in-law have both recently been diagnosed with Huntington’s.
“It’s even a bigger deal to [my family] now. We want to raise awareness. We want to raise money for Huntington’s,” Chapman said. “There are a lot of people that are affected, and no one really realizes how many people are affected by it.”
Eaves said the personal experience FSA has with the disease caused KATES to be even more motivated to participate.
“KATES has been looking for a charity to support as a company,” she said. “This came along, and it was the perfect opportunity to give back to our community and still have personal ties to the situation.”
The BASH concert will include performances by The Sean Rivers Band, Badstick and DJ Neela. There will also be drink specials, door prizes and opportunities for attendees to donate to the cause.
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Chapman said the donations and attendance at this event will be very beneficial for those who suffer from the disease.
“There are a lot of people who die from it every year just from the lack of funding and lack of treatment and medicine,” Chapman said. “All that combined together makes it tough for a family that has Huntington’s in it.”
Freelend hopes that those who attend the recent will learn a lot about the disease and will know that they are helping people in need.
“A lot of people don’t know a lot about Huntington’s Disease. It’s a very unknown disease,” Freelend said. “We, as a company, want to make sure we are putting our best foot forward and bringing what we can to the table for others who can’t for themselves.”
The BASH benefit concert will start at 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 at Jupiter Bar on the Strip. Attendees must be 19 or older. For more information on Huntington’s Disease, visit hdsa.org.
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