Local Musician to Star in Relay for Life Fundraiser
All Night for the Fight is a Relay for Life event March 22 that invites locals to have fun — and feel good…
All Night for the Fight is a Relay for Life event March 22 that invites locals to have fun — and feel good about themselves while doing it.
Chardon BrewWorks & Eatery, on Chardon Square, will host the fundraiser that starts at 6 p.m. and will include a Chinese auction.
But event organizers Brandon Douglass and Kristin Shenker are more excited about local performing artist Allison Piccioni, a 2006 Chardon graduate who brings her band, The Logos, to perform in town for the first time.
“To have such an accomplished, talented performer like Allison performing is such a blessing,” Douglass said in an email. “As soon as I called her up, she was immediately excited about the possibility of playing a gig in her hometown and doing it for such a good cause.”
Piccioni, who lives in Hambden Township, has accomplished a lot since graduation.
She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she switched away from her roots in classical music.
Piccioni then lived in London for two years, graduating with a Masters in Music in Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music in London; she now writes precessional music for film and television.
“I haven’t had the chance to gig with my band in the Chardon area,” she said Tuesday. “We’re usually on the west side.”
The Logos play an eclectic type of music — eclectic like the band’s members, Piccioni said — from Beatles and Rolling Stones covers to Adele and Bruno Mars.
But Piccioni still plays Mass at St. Mary’s Church, where she’s played since she was 12. She also teaches for the School of Rock in Cleveland from home.
Piccioni participated in Relay for Life events as early as 8 years old, she said.
Her mother was an oncologist at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center for 20 years.
“We were both happy to join the team and raise money,” Douglass said. “It is pretty safe to say that there isn’t anyone out there who doesn’t know at least one person affected by cancer — either a loved one or they know others with people close to them battling the disease.”
The Logos will perform at 8 p.m.
“I think it’s going to be packed,” Piccioni said. “I think it’s going to be a really nice reunion for people to come up for a really good cause. I’m excited to share that with them.”
Mike and Donna Nedrow, the owners of Chardon BrewWorks, said the event was a no-brainer for a great cause.
“We were approached, and we said absolutely,” Mike said.
The Nedrows will also donate $1 for each pint of one chosen craft beer sold that night.
Local businesses Guys Pizza, Beans Coffee Shop and the Geauga Lyric Guild have also contributed items for the auction.
Money raised at the event will go toward an April 20 overnight event at John Carroll University.
