Stone Lotus plays at Inaugural Docs Rock for NF concert

Author: Yvonne Glass

Published On: 06/19/2018

On a warm Saturday evening in early June at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, more than 125 people—including those personally affected by NF, their friends and family, employees from Florida Hospital, and the associates and staff of the performing doctors—all gathered for the inaugural Docs Rock for NF concert.

The idea for a concert began with a conversation between Dr. Herbert Newton, neuro-oncologist at Florida Hospital, and Kim Bischoff, executive director at the Neurofibromatosis (NF) Network, with the intention of raising funds for neurofibromatosis research and support for those affected by it. The name of the concert was selected to represent the medical vocations of several members of the band Stone Lotus, whose slogan is Your Brain on Peace, Love and Music, and are dedicated to using their musicianship to support charitable organizations with a focus on neurological illnesses, neuro-oncology, and cancer.

The event kicked off with a catered barbeque dinner from 4Rivers Smokehouse in the courtyard, where attendees enjoyed the company of others interested in the neurofibromatosis cause. The evening continued with Stone Lotus playing two sets of music that fused five decades of classic rock and blues, including Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Hold On Loosely, Drift Away, and Rocky Mountain Way among many others. During the closing song, Don’t Stop Believin’, the band encouraged attendees to donate online to help cover the costs of the 1,500 NF informational packets the Neurofibromatosis Network sends out to people requesting information.

As the evening came to a close, the silent auction items were awarded to the winners who bid on them throughout the evening using mobile bidding. The auction items, gathered by local event chair Melanie Leach, included tickets to SeaWorld, Aquatica, Medieval Times, Top Golf, Kennedy Space Center, and dozens of other prizes donated by some of Florida’s most charitable businesses. In total, the evening raised over $11,000 thanks to the concert goers and sponsorships from Florida Hospital, local realtor and NF dad Karlton Press with Preferred Real Estate Brokers, a generous discount from 4Rivers Smokehouse, and free cookies from Insomnia Cookies. The evening was enjoyed by all and a 2019 concert is already in the works.

If you are interested in helping to organize an NF event in your community contact Yvonne Glass, Event Coordinator, at the NF Network office at (630)510-1115.