The winter 2011 “Soup and a Song” fundraising series of programs, combining concerts by popular local musical groups with “open-mic” opportunities for other performers, will conclude on March 25th at St. Susan Center, Jamestown’s soup kitchen. The January and February events exceeded expectations, raising a combined $1,079, or the cost of 431 meals. The music series also has served to raise awareness of what St. Susan Center is, and the vital role it serves within the community.

For the modest admission price of $7, attendees are treated, not only to a fine evening of live musical entertainment, but a meal consisting of hearty soup, several varieties of breads, crackers, desserts, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

Proceeds from the Soup and a Song series benefit St. Susan Center, which in 2010 served 85,000 meals to a diverse client base that extends beyond the unemployed and homeless to include young parents, teens, seniors, children and persons who are challenged physically, mentally or emotionally. Sue Colwell, St. Susan’s director, explained the importance of the music series to the Center: “I often hear people express their heartbreak for the men, women and children who do not have enough to eat. However, the greater tragedy would be if St. Susan Center did not exist at all. Therefore, the Center and our guests are being blessed through the generosity of local musicians, who are fighting hunger on a daily basis.”

Logistical support for the Soup and a Song program has been provided by Trinity Guitars, the Jamestown-based purveyor of fine stringed instruments and audio gear. Trinity Guitars owner, Jim Holler, who coordinates the talent for the events and provides the sound system, credits the generosity of local musicians for the program’s success. “I often think that the most valuable gift one person can give another is the gift of their time,” Holler said. “Everyone is pressed for time these days, and it takes many hours to rehearse for a gig, pack and unpack gear, commit to a date when your talent is being donated gratis, and then keep that commitment. I’ve been blown away by the support my friends, customers and fellow musicians have given St. Susan Center, and we’re already making plans for the second series of events.”

Featured on March 25th will be Grampa Snazzy. The band, which has been a popular fixture on the local live music scene since 2007, features 2004 Chautauqua Lake Idol winner, Sue Waite, on vocals, Jim Foti on bass guitar, and Tom Swanson on guitar. New to the band, but by no means to the area music scene, are guitarist/vocalist Karl Lydell and drummer Julie Morgan. In addition to original material, the group will play a selection of blues and southern gospel tunes inspired by the likes of Leon Russell, Maria Muldaur and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

The Soup and a Song events are held at St. Susan Center’s facility at Gateway Center, also known to Jamestown residents as the former Chautauqua Hardware Building, at 31 Water Street. The public is admitted beginning at 6:00 pm, with the open-mic segment of the programs beginning at 6:10. Featured entertainers begin playing at 7:40pm, and the events conclude at 9:00pm. Soup will be served until 8:00pm.

Persons interested in learning more about St. Susan Center may contact Sue Colwell at (716) 664-2253, extension 3. Since open-mic time slot availabilities have filled quickly in the past, musicians interested in performing on March 25th should contact Jim Holler promptly, at (716) 665-4490, or sign up in person at Trinity Guitars, 800 West Third Street in Jamestown. The open-mics are geared toward acoustic-based performers of folk, blues or country selections suitable for a venue such as St. Susan Center.