Chatham Strong Fest | Community & Lifestyle

A daylong family-friendly music festival featuring six performers will give people an opportunity to pay tribute to the April 28 accident victims in Chatham and raise money to support them.

Billed as the Chatham Strong Fest, it will run from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday, July 6, at the Chatham Community Park, 711 S. Park St. There is no admission fee. Some seating will be available, but people may want to bring their own chairs and blankets.

Killed on the day of the accident when a driver crashed through the YNOT after-school building in Chatham were Kathryn Corley, 7, Alma Buhnerkempe, 7, Ainsley Johnson, 8, and Rylee Britton, 18. Six other children were taken to the hospital. One of them, Bradley Lund, 8, died June 2 from his injuries.

“Chatham Strong” has emerged as the rallying cry in response to the accident and in support of its victims and their families. Local residents, schools and businesses have hosted gatherings and blood drives, and Chatham Strong yard signs, T-shirts and other items have been for sale, with vendors typically promising to donate to the families of victims. As of June 24, more than $437,000 had been pledged on six GoFundMe sites, while at least three local banks were also accepting donations for the benefit of one or more of the victims. A linktr.ee site is tracking dozens of these events and fundraising opportunities.

The Chatham Strong Fest will feature live music, food trucks, kids’ activities and an online auction. The kids’ activities will include a petting zoo, carnival games and arts and craft stations. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. The online auction being conducted by Cory Craig Auctions began June 28 and will close at 7 p.m. July 6. Cory Craig is donating his services for this effort.

Also, a ceremony for the planting of a 15-foot Unity Tree at 5 p.m. during the festival will honor the deceased children as a permanent memorial near the main playground.

Net proceeds from the auction, donations and sponsors will be deposited into the Ball-Chatham School District YNOT Tragedy Fund. Funds will be allocated for funeral and memorial services, medical expenses, long-term care and other essential needs. According to the Chatham Strong Fest website, a committee of Glenwood High School administrators and Student Council members will review needs and oversee the distribution of funds, and all funds will be fully disbursed within six months.

The idea for the Chatham Strong Fest, according to a press release, originated when Jason Dolby’s 15-year-old son, who attended the YNOT after-school program as a child, started playing music as a way to cope.

“When he told me it was his way to deal with what had happened,” Dolby said, “I thought maybe others could use music to do the same thing. So I called my friend Jeff Loftus, who is a great local musician, and we started organizing the next day.”

Dolby and Loftus got help from Jeff Stauffer in organizing the music festival. “We wanted to organize an event that not only gave people an outlet to participate by raising money, but maybe more importantly, to heal through music and a chance to honor those involved by keeping their memory alive forever in a big way,” Stauffer said.

That is how the Chatham Strong Fest arose organically as an initiative of the three civic-minded citizens, not any specific organization or group. Local sponsors have stepped up to defray costs, including Springfield Clinic, Memorial Health, HSHS Health System, SIU School of Medicine, Levi, Ray & Shoup and The Group Insurance Agency.

Those sponsors, along with the online auction and donations that can be made online or at the event, will provide the proceeds to be donated to the victims’ families.

More information about the musicians, the online auction and the festival can be found at chathamstrongfest.com.