Eyes on the Prize: Concert to benefit Special Olympics of Lee County

Sanford Herald - 3/14/2024

Mar. 14—A concert Saturday night at the Temple Theatre will benefit the Special Olympics of Lee County.

The concert, presented by Brightest Light, will feature two popular area bands, Big Time Shine and The Will McBride Group. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

Brightest Light is a non-profit whose mission is to motivate physically, emotionally and mentally wounded individuals through the healing power of music, in an effort to bring faith, hope and love to those in need, at no cost.

"I recently started Brightest Light, and we're the ones putting the show on," John Wilson of Big Time Shine said. "The Will McBride Group is playing first, at 7 p.m. and after they're done, we'll do a set. It will be over by 9:30 p.m."

Wilson said he has a special connection to the Special Olympics.

"Jerry Farmer used to be the announcer for the Spring Games that they have every year," he said. "After he passed, I was asked by Anne Sessoms, who is one of my dearest friends, if would be the announcer for the Spring Games — that was nine years ago."

Wilson said that the Spring Games are coming up on April 19 at Southern Lee.

"I just decided after the pandemic that I wanted to do something special for the Special Olympics, and I hadI started the non-profit. One of the things we do is partner with other charitable organizations and if they need help with fundraisers, we'll come out and provide music or whatever. That's kind of how this came about."

Brightest Light began in January of 2022, according to Wilson.

"I received a vision from the Man upstairs," he said. "I had this vision to put live music in places like prisons, hospitals of various types — children's, military, orphanages, rehab facilities — places that don't normally have what you would cosigner a live concert environment. The goal is for these places to not have to worry about paying for it. We take care of the expresses. We pay for the musicians, we pay for the travel, the sound man and all of it. That's where we're at."

On Saturday night, floor seats are $15 and $10 for balcony seats Tickets are available at the Temple Theatre's website www.templeshows.com and they will be averrable at the door if the show is not sold out.

"We're also going to do a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction," Wilson said. "It's a cool thing to do for the kids. If you would have told me when I first did the announcing that I would still be doing it nine years later, I would have been like, 'Really, me? Nah.' But I enjoy it. I go up there and just watch the kids have a good time. They really appreciate the ability to do what they can do. They enjoy it — it's a very joyous environment to be in."

Sponsors for the event include Pfizer, APGraphics, LLC, Paul Hanover, Sanford Pediatrics, Jones Printing Co., Inc., Tom and Lynn Janyssek and Billy and Rosemary Parten.

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