September 5, 2008
Belmont’s First Annual Alumni Showcase to Raise Money for Chinese Orphan's Surgery
Belmont University will welcome back several talented alumni to perform at "Coming Home for a Cause," the first annual Alumni Showcase on Sat., Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Curb Event Center. Co-sponsored by the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and the Office of Alumni Relations, the showcase—featuring Sam & Ruby, Abby Burke and the Manly Band, KingBilly and Andy Davis—will serve to raise community support and awareness for the Shaohannah’s Hope foundation (www.shaohannahshope.org), an organization started by Belmont alumnus Steven Curtis Chapman.
Gospel artist Chapman, a former Belmont student and Curb College Advisory Board member, and his wife Mary Beth founded Shaohannah’s Hope to care for orphans and to help more people experience the miracle of adoption by reducing financial barriers. 
For the "Coming Home for a Cause" benefit, Shaohannah’s Hope has specifically identified an 18-month-old orphan in China, John (pictured left), who needs surgery for a cleft lip. Belmont’s donations will go directly towards John’s surgery. Buckets were distributed across campus this week to allow the Belmont community to participate and contribute to changing this orphan’s life. The "Change for Orphans" campaign buckets can be found at all residence hall/clubhouse front desks, the Beaman Student Life Center desk, Belmont Central, Corner Court, Department of Student Affairs front desk, Cafeteria, What's Bruin? and the Curb Cafe.
“The purpose of this event is to provide a unique learning opportunity for CEMB students by utilizing the showcase series to profile Belmont talent, on and off the stage, and to highlight the community service endeavors of close Belmont affiliates,” explains Julie Bunt, associate director of Alumni Relations. “For this first annual event and out of Belmont’s Christian response to one of our own, Shaohannah’s Hope was selected as the nonprofit partner.”
The “Coming Home for a Cause” concert is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:00 p.m. event.
The diverse and talented alumni line up for the evening includes:
• Wisconsin-born Sam Brooker and Ruby Amanfu (Sam & Ruby), a West Africa native who attended Belmont in 1998, are self-proclaimed musical soul mates, who have been described as “a beautifully intimate, emotionally charged world of flawless harmony” (www.myspace.com/samandruby).
• Abby Burke and the Manly Band are “led by the statuesque presence of dynamic vocalist Abby Burke and her soulful sax playing husband Glenn Burke,” a 1999 Belmont alum, with “performances built on the principle that the audience should feel the art” (www.abbyandthemanlyband.com).
• KingBilly is a phenomenal country band with rock and bluegrass tinges featuring Josh Matheny, a 2005 CEMB alumnus on dobro, lap steel and vocals (www.myspace.com/kingbillyband).
• Rounding out the evening with his “distinctive melodies and infectious layered vocals anchored by personal yet universal lyrics” is rising star and 2003 Belmont alum Andy Davis (pictured right) who “embraces a range of times, influences and genres … earning comparisons from Ben Folds to Paul Simon to Badly Drawn Boy, as well as the classic story-centered songwriting of Billy Joel” (www.andydavisonline.com).
For more information on the event, click here or contact Jamie Stamey at stameyj@mail.belmont.edu.
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About Belmont University
Named one of the top two “Schools to Watch” in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Belmont University is a fast-growing community of more than 5,400 students who come from every state and 25 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. The university’s purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world’s needs. With more than 75 areas of study, 20 master’s programs and three doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu.
For more information visit www.belmont.edu
