"The Classiest Little Town in America"

“The Classiest Little Town in America” is what Jimmy Fortune called Rector, Arkansas.  He was letting the audience of over 800 very responsive audience members know that the Helping Hands Benefit Concert was like none other, that the venue was impressive, and the desire to help children was praise worthy.  When I explain that the concert was in the Rector HS gym, you might wonder how that could be classy or impressive.  If an Emmy award winning sound and lighting guy born in Little Rock donates his time, talent, and equipment to the concert, then even top flight school gym with stadium seating can be turned into a wonderful site for this 4^th Annual Benefit Concert.  Lighting and sound were so professionally done that you might forget where you were.  I did see the Cher Farewell Tour Concert at the Pyramid (that qualifies me to be an expert in concerts) and while this venue is smaller (is it that obvious?), the sound and lighting were awesome. 

Two of the three sets of acts we totally loved.  First was the tenor from the Statler Brothers (retired).  Jimmy Fortune is still working, writing songs, performing, making CDs, and going on tours.  Dailey and Vincent is a bluegrass artists group.  I really don’t like that style of music, but tonight, I loved it.  They featured 2 guitarists, a fiddle player, a banjo guy, a man on the bass fiddle, and each one could sing like there was no tomorrow. One young man had a bass voice that bottomed out all the way to China.  All the entertainers played and sang country tunes and gospel music.  They also performed some Roy Orbison, George Jones, and other hit-makers’ work.  The third performer was Jason Crabb and his style is rock music with Jesus shouted out from time to time was not my thing!  We left about 30 minutes early (don’t tell).

The whole town seemed to be abuzz with excitement about the concert.  So many volunteers were in HHF blue shirts that the orchestration of the event was superior.  Everybody had a job from holding tiny flashlights to help us retirees navigate steps in the dark to traffic directors and parking attendants.  HHF Ambassadors, selected students in the junior and senior high school, served as workers and as ushers.  Some Ambassadors drove golf carts carrying people from parking lots to the concert. Thirty minutes prior to the music beginning, the MC introduced about 25 students who have been recipients of scholarships over the past 4 years.  In addition, 12 new winners were presented.  These students received $5000 each for college scholarships, completely funded from private donations and fund raising, including the Concert, managed through the Helping Hands Foundation.  The Helping Hands Foundation(HHF) was established to close the opportunity gap for the disadvantaged in the Rector schools. Because of this organization, need is met quietly, discreetly, and completely.  No student is deprived of opportunity due to economic need.  In Rector, there is no PTSA organization, for a multitude of reasons, so the HHF fills that gap, also.  It has been a phenomenal organization and has benefitted every student in the district and all the teachers. 
Bill Carter, a graduate of Rector HS, earned a law degree and ultimately arrived in Music City (Nashville, TN) and launched into the music industry.  He has been attorney for many outstanding groups and his connections with that industry have made the benefit concert a reality.  Each of the performers donates all time and talent to the Foundation.

The Rector Community works together in a way unique to them.  This concert was our first and has been an impressive eye-opener for us.  I saw so many adults wearing Volunteer Shirts, doing anything and everything to make the production successful. The town has embraced this Foundation and works for its mission.  The concert serves as an example of how groups of people can accomplish anything when the overall goals are united through a common vision.