The fundraiser, Ronnie’s Way 5k, is in honor of Ron Graham who has been diagnosed with stage-four gastroesophageal cancer and has recently started treatment.

Musician and music teacher Mark Alpaugh describes Ron as a “galvanizing force,” especially when it came to the creation of the Infinity Arts Program at Washington Middle School, “Ron is one these people that they say, ‘Ron’s never met a stranger.’ You know, he seems to know everybody and is connected. So he would set up these meetings with my department head and with my principal at school to see if this was all legit, that we could do this in fact under the umbrella of the Jamestown Public Schools, and would that be okay to do after hours.”

Alpaugh said Ron Graham then was able to find a space in downtown Jamestown on East Third Street for the Infinity program, and it grew from there.

He said one of Ron’s biggest legacies with the Infinity program is that he was able to cross borders, “He was able to find kids from different schools, from different age groups, and from different ethnicities, genders, the whole thing, and bring them all together under one umbrella, which is music.”

Musician and teacher Steve Davis credited Ron with facilitating his and other’s growth as musicians, “Introducing me to so many of the upper echelon musicians in the area and bringing other professional musicians, international touring musicians.. he brought them to Jamestown to work with us and took our level of musicianship, took it through the roof. And just the experiences and opportunities we would have never have experienced without him.”

The event Saturday at Jackson-Taylor Park will start at 10:00 a.m. with a 5K run, followed by a Hot Shots Basketball tournament as well as a community walk at 11:00 a.m.

Live music is part of the day, too, with Steve Davis and Friends starting at 10:30 a.m., “Jeremy Bunce will be playing guitar. Daniel Witherspoon will be playing some drums. Rahsaan Graham, Ron’s son, will be playing some percussion. Marla Harris will be coming down to sing some songs.”

The link to register for the “Ronnie’s Way” event is available here: https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/Jamestown/Ronnie

• MOBILE APP USERS: LISTEN HERE

Episode 36 of the Back Room Radio Hour, hosted by Bill Ward featuring local musicians Adam McKillip, Amanda Barton, Barbara Jean and Steve Strickland, Bob Henry, Eric Kane, Kayle Dean and Reiley Kolstee (Students from Infinity Visual and Performings Arts), Karl Lydell, Mark Alpaugh, Mike Bratt, Tom Swanson, and Teal Weatherly.

Recorded Dec. 13, 2018 at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, NY.

Photo by Jamie Probst

It will be recorded Thursday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in front of a live audience in the Back Room at Trinity Guitars, 800 West 3rd Street in Jamestown.

For free tickets call (716) 665 – 4490.

Cross has served as the music director for the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival since it began in 1992. He is the founder and conductor of the Chautauqua Concert Band from 1994 and is the band leader/arranger for the Chautauqua Lake Idol/Voices competition.

Cross has performed more than 5,000 concerts and musicals, has performed with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and has been a featured soloist and arranger with the Bemus Bay Pops Orchestra and the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cross was co-founder of the Jazz Vespers series and was an artist in residence for five years at Chautauqua Institution. He has been featured with guitarist/vocalist, Bill Ward in “Jazz Contribution to Christian Praise” and as a jazz soloist for several 8 p.m. sacred song services. The Chautauqua Amphitheater highlights include opening for national recording acts Waylon Jennings, Diamond Rio, Loretta Lynn, the Gatlin Brothers and Bob Newhart.

Mark Alpaugh is the General Music and Vocal instructor for George Washington Middle School. He graduated from Jamestown Community College with an Associates Degree in Applied Arts, Berklee College of Music with a Bachelors in Music Education, and SUNY Fredonia with a Masters in Music Education. Mark has also been an adjuct Ensemble Instructor for Jamestown Community College in the past. He formerly served as the pianist at Emmanual Baptist church, and has been involved in many local bands including Rhythm Express, the Babalu Band & the Bill Ward Band.

In 2009, Cindy Haight (Cindy Love) released her first, all-original CD titled “Songs of Love and Haight.” The style of the music lends to a mixture of blues – soul – folk and country, and the topics are mostly of love and the inevitable heartbreak that follows. In live performance, Cindy blends a mix of her beautiful original songs with classic country, blues and rock covers that really showcase her talent. Cindy has performed at the Great Blue Heron Music Festival for several years, with bands, solo and as part of the singer/songwriter circle. .

Featured Service Organization is Allegany Region Missions, which provides a multi-denominational Christian mission ministry to the needy of the world, through a focus on mission projects and programs in medical care, surgery, construction and education.

Hosted by Chautauqua County musician Bill Ward and presented on select Thursdays at 7:00 pm from October to May at Trinity Guitars, 800 West Third Street. Each show features the live performances of two independent artists from the Chautauqua region. Each show will also highlight a community, regional or world service organization.

For more information or to reserve seats for the “Trinity Guitars’ Back Room Radio Hour” call Trinity Guitars at (716) 665 – 4490 or email info@trinityguitars.com.

Reservations may also be made by visiting trinityguitars.com or visiting the event’s Facebook page.