Concert to benefit youth outreach efforts

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When they were younger, the four members of Sounds of Summer: A Beach Boys Tribute attended Community Outreach for Youth school assemblies.

Dave Campbell of the music duo Dave and Whitney was a part of the COFY band and also had played in the Enter His Courts basketball leagues.

When both musical acts were asked by Tim Goodpaster to participate in a concert benefiting the nonprofit organizations, they didn’t hesitate.

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Eric Wernke, a member of Jennings County-based Sounds of Summer, said he remembers Campbell being in the band at the COFY assembly.

“It was energetic. It was just a really positive type of assembly,” Wernke said. “Just sitting and listening to somebody and with the music, it kept your attention.”

Campbell, a Seymour native, said he still remembers the atmosphere of the COFY assemblies.

“You go in and you just feel the energy and the excitement in the room,” he said.

Now that he is a teacher, Wernke said he sees how the assemblies continue to make a positive impact on youth, so the band was glad to help a good cause.

“Any time we can give back, we like to do that sort of thing,” he said. “We’ve played in Seymour three times — twice outdoors and in the auditorium. We’re looking forward to coming back. I think the first time we played in Seymour outdoors for CityJam was our biggest crowd up to that date. That was really exciting, and it was a really good time.”

Campbell, who now lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, said he’s excited about playing in his hometown. Whitney is originally from Hanover.

“For us to come back and get to do that for (Goodpaster) and be the excitement in the room leading people to God, I think that’s just awesome,” Dave said.

“I’ve been a part of both of his organizations growing up, and I think he’s doing a great thing,” he said. “Both of his organizations are faith-based. Whitney and I growing in the Word, it means a lot to us to give back to sow a seed in the kingdom and be a part of the Great Commission. We’re using the platform God gave us to lead more people to the Word.”

The concert is set for 7 p.m. May 27 at Seymour High School’s Earl D. Prout Auditorium. Tickets are $20.

Dave and Whitney will play for about 50 minutes, and then Sounds of Summer will take to the stage for about an hour and 20 minutes.

Locals may remember Dave and Whitney performing at the annual Sertoma Benefit Concert, while Sounds of Summer played at Seymour CityJam in 2015 and at Cars and Guitars in 2016 and also was featured on AXS TV’s “The World’s Greatest Tribute Bands.”

The auditorium holds 1,050 people, and Goodpaster said if there is enough demand for tickets, he may offer another concert.

Proceeds will help Goodpaster and his wife, Sally, with their outreaches through Enter His Courts and COFY.

Enter His Courts started in 1988. It offers basketball leagues for ages 5 to 22 in Brownstown, Seymour and North Vernon. Over the years, around 20,000 kids have participated in the leagues.

COFY was established in 1996. The school assemblies feature a Christian rock band performing and a guest speaker encouraging kids to make good choices in life. It has reached 243,000 kids in 64 schools in southern Indiana.

For the past 10 years, one of the organizations’ biggest fundraisers was selling fireworks at a stand during the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July.

Between that and donations from supporters, Goodpaster said that pretty much covered him financially to run the programs.

Last summer, however, Goodpaster dealt with an illness during the time the stand was operational and had to rely on help from other people.

“I’m a people person, so I love that part of it, interacting with people, selling things,” he said. “But boy, physically, it is taxing, and last year, I got really sick in the middle of it. For seven days, I didn’t get out of bed.”

Goodpaster said he and his wife began to pray about what they could do differently as a fundraiser.

They ran a pommes frites booth at the three-day Seymour Oktoberfest in the fall for the second year in a row. Goodpaster said that has generated more money than the fireworks stand.

Also around that time, Goodpaster heard about Sounds of Summer playing on TV, so he recorded the program and watched it back.

“When that lady announced, ‘Here they are, Sounds of Summer,’ it’s just like something clicked inside of me, and I’m thinking, ‘Man, this is something God wants me to do,’” he said.

Goodpaster then began making contacts for the concert and reserved the venue.

He was happy both musical acts agreed to perform, and he’s hoping for a successful concert fundraiser.

“How cool is that that some folks that we loved on through the years now are maybe going to love on us and help us fund the next generation of what we’re doing?” Goodpaster said. “I’m excited. It’s all coming together, and all I need is folks who believe that we make an impact in kids’ lives. I think I can show them that we are fertile ground to sew in.”

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What: Concert featuring Sounds of Summer: A Beach Boys Tribute with special guest Dave and Whitney

When: 7 p.m. May 27

Where: Seymour High School’s Earl D. Prout Auditorium

Tickets: $20; may be purchased online through enterhiscourts.org, soundsofsummertribute.com or daveandwhitney.com, calling Tim Goodpaster at 812-498-0249 or mailing a check to Tim Goodpaster, 341 Mutton Creek Drive, Seymour, IN 47274 (make checks payable to Enter His Courts or COFY)

Proceeds: Enter His Courts basketball leagues and Community Outreach for Youth school assemblies

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