CHATHAM, IL (Captial City Now) – Hundreds of members of the Chatham community and the surrounding area turned out Sunday for what was billed as the “Chatham Strong Fest.”
Six area bands rocked the stage of the Chatham Community Park as enthusiastic crowds cheered them on.
Food and beverage vendors were plentiful and lots of Chatham Strong merchandise was for sale.
It was all an effort to raise much-needed funds to help families who endured horrible tragedy when a vehicle driven by a driver believed to have been having a medical episode crashed into the YNOT afterschool facility on April. Five children were killed and many others injured.
Organizer, Jeff Loftus, tells WTAX News while admission was free, they hoped to raise money thru food and beverage sales, an online auction and corporate sponsorships. He says they were halfway to their $250,000 goal before the first beer was poured.
Loftus said he wasn’t sure if there would be similar rallies in the future and today the focus was just on the affected families and the community as a whole.