Hope for Haiti and the United Way, the benefit concert scheduled Saturday, April 24, at Allegany College of Maryland, has announced an impressive 16-artist line-up in a wide range of musical styles on two stages.

This major music event, to raise funds for humanitarian relief in earthquake-ravaged Haiti and for County United Way, features bluegrass and country, blues, acoustic and electric rock as well as traditional Irish and barbershop quartet music.

Sponsored by ACM's Peace Studies Club and the Allegany Arts Council, Hope for Haiti is a day-long, family-friendly, Cumberland-campus happening also features fun activities for kids and food and non-alcoholic refreshments from vendors.

It will give tristate residents an opportunity to respond to the devastation and desperation in the Caribbean nation and by showing support for Haitians and directing assistance to help them rebuild their lives.

Habitat for Humanity, which plans to build 15,000 living units; Partners for Health, a Massachusetts group that provides medical services; and the Center for Mind/Body Medicine, a Washington, D.C., group that will provide post-traumatic stress counseling to survivors, will all benefit from monies raised for Haiti.

County United Way, which supports United Ways in Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland and Mineral and Hampshire counties in West Virginia, also will benefit from the concert. County United Way helps meet community needs in the region. 

• The music line-up includes:
• Hot Sauce Willy (blues/rock/R&B),
• Billy Gray and the Boys (country),
• Eric Hansen Band (electric rock),
• Mike Whitehead (acoustic rock/pop rock),
• Jon Felton and his Soulmobile (indie rock),
• High Frequency (classic rock/indie rock),
• Dave Lanich (classic rock/southern rock),
• SimonSays ('80s pop/rock),
• Black Diamonds (bluegrass),
• Tonic Boom! (barbershop quartet),
• I Forget and Dogjaw (both post-punk),
• J.B. Tenney (acoustic rock/blues),
• Night Owls (rock and blues),
• Thomas and Neral (traditional Irish/concertina) and
• Jim House (acoustic pop/rock).

All artists hail from the greater Cumberland area and the surrounding region. Tenney, originally from New York, is a northern West Virginia-based performer, while Lanich is from Gettysburg, Pa. Professional sound technicians will handle the audio at each stage. 

Hope for Haiti begins at 11 a.m. in and immediately outside the College Center, continuing into early evening. Donations are asked of those who attend: adults, $10; students, $5. Children under 12 are admitted free.

For more information, including a performance schedule of the artists, consult the ACM Website at www.allegany.edu. ACM faculty member and Peace Studies Club advisor Kurt Hoffman can be contacted at 301-784-5113.