The 36th annual Cystic Fibrosis Concert ended up being a record-breaking event for fundraising, with $92,106 raised. The concert sold out for the first time since 2019, and the funds raised exceed last year's event by about $20,000.
It appears the concert is beginning to pick up momentum again after the COVID pandemic prompted the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 concerts. The fundraising total went well above and beyond the previous record of $80,000, also pre-COVID.
This year was also unique in that the featured performer was a female artist for the first time in the benefit concert’s history, country chart-topper Sara Evans, who hails from Boonville, about 25 miles west of Columbia.
"She was everything we hoped she would be and then some," said Cystic Fibrosis of West Plains volunteer and event organizer Rick Frazier.
The acts are vetted by concert organizers, who attend live performances before choosing the feature act. "I knew she was good, but I didn't know if everyone else did," Frazier added.
He also pointed out there were quite a few people attending the concert for the first time, as evidenced before Evans took the stage when he asked those who had never been before to stand up, and a good portion of the audience took to their feet.
Another huge help in the effort were new sponsors and the continued support of businesses and individuals that donated items for the silent and live auctions and giveaways, including two handguns, outdoor and indoor furnishings, a two-night vacation package at Rockbridge Trout & Game Ranch, and eight quilts, most of which brought at least $400 apiece.
This year local businesses that held designated fundraising days included Captain D's, Colton's Steakhouse, Ozark Cafe and 10/40 Coffee.
"We could only do this in West Plains,” said Frazier. “People are so generous and always willing to help.”
He also thanked the small army of volunteers that help make the event possible, from selling tickets to organizing the auctions, to providing support staff during the event. He said the spirit of helping that continues after three and a half decades is notable: "To have all the volunteers, in the 36th year, and to have the biggest show and make the most money is really something."
