Charity concert to raise money for clothing children

By Mary Louise Speer | Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone leaves a permanent impression.

Cassandra Chambers, 17 , of LeClaire, Iowa, found it impossible to forget the children she met while on a church mission trip to Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota.

She was part of a youth group from the Our Savior Presbyterian Church LeClaire and they helped with painting houses and running kids clubs.

“While we were with the kids, we noticed that some of them either had ill-fitting clothes, or were simply missing vital parts of their outfits, like shoes,” she said.

The youth group returned home on July 21 concerned about what they had witnessed during the week long trip.

They wanted to do something more to help the youngsters from the Oglala Lakota nation. Teens shared their experience with members of the congregation at the July 22 service and launched a collection for purchasing clothing.

“We felt good about this but still, we wanted to do more,” Cassandra said.

The LeClaire City Council has approved a request to allow the group to use the south end of the LeClaire levee for a charity fund-raiser concert on Sept. 8.

The rock concert will feature high school bands and the group plans to sell refreshments and have a raffle at the end of the event.

Organizing the event is a big task and she would be glad to hear from any one who might like to help in some way, Cassandra said. She is receiving a lot of support from friends and family.

For more information, email her at chambersc09@ yahoo.com.

The city desk can be contacted at  (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.