A concert benefiting the Homeless Shelter of San Luis Obispo will take place this Sunday at Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church at 1701 Fredericks St.
“We’ve been doing this for about 20 years,” said Bob Christenson, co-coordinator for Homeless Overflow at Mt. Carmel.
The San Luis Obispo County Band will be playing, with guest conductor Dave Romero, mayor of San Luis Obispo.
“Never done it before in my life,” Romero said, about conducting. The fundraisers are hoping to draw more people to their events with a local celebrity.
Romero will be donating money for the shelter, and enjoys being involved in other charity events around the community. He frequents the fashion shows at Madonna Inn with his family, and has been to at least 15 over the years.
The concert will have a variety of music including march, ragtime and gospel. There will also be an intermission with free refreshments, Christenson said. “I guarantee it’ll be a hoot and a half. (The time) will be well spent.”
The money raised will go towards replacing beds at the shelter.
“They’re pretty ratty and they’re about to fall apart,” Christenson said.
Thrivent, a Lutheran organization, will match donations of up to $800. Typically the event brings in around $2,000 each year.
County Band member Janelle Oneschuck is excited for the concert.
“I really enjoy (the band) because we get to play at all different kinds of events,” she said.
Being involved helps her to be more aware of community happenings and interact with band members of all ages.
“They’re all really friendly and relaxed,” she said.
The concert will be at 3:30 p.m. on November 19, and is free and open to the public. For more information, or to volunteer at the homeless shelter, e-mail Christenson at rchris534@aol.com.