Angels in Tucson are trading their halos for cowboy hats with “Rock the Fox,” featuring Grammy-nominated country music star, Elle King, with Madeline Edwards at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
King, a pop sensation and Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Award winner, will headline the concert to launch Angel Charity for Children‘s 2023 fundraising campaign to raise more than $1 million for local nonprofits.
“This is our first country concert. We wanted to try something totally different this year and we thought a country concert might reach a new demographic in the community. We are partnering with the historic Fox Theatre downtown and so far the support from the community and sponsors has been phenomenal,” said Gillian Kazmierczak, the spring event chair for Angel Charity.
The organization, which is comprised of 250 active volunteers, has raised more than $30 million to benefit 129 local children’s projects since 1983.
“Everyone is excited about supporting a new event to raise funds for local children. Country music as a whole has taken a new twist in the 2020s. It has evolved to appeal to younger generations while keeping its older and long-term fan base engaged. Elle King performs modern country with a little crossover to rock ’n’ roll and has done fantastic collaborations with other artists such as Miranda Lambert,” said Kazmierczak, a four-year member of Angel Charity. The senior subcontract specialist for Raytheon is also a long-time country music fan.
Collaborations are a cornerstone of Angel Charity, which has garnered a reputation for large, impactful gifts ranging from funding of nonprofit programs and scientific research to new construction of facilities, renovations and retiring of mortgages. More than a million children have benefited from the services that Angel Charity and its donors have funded over the years.
This year is no exception. The 2023 Impact Grant beneficiary is the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center, which will receive $800,000 to fund the renovation of five laboratories and one research office at the Angel Charity for Children Wings for Genetic Research. In addition, seven Opportunity Grant beneficiaries — Amphi Foundation, Arizona Burn Foundation, Assistance League of Tucson, Courtney’s Courage, Lead Guitar, Treasures 4 Teachers of Tucson and Tucson Refugee Ministry — will receive a total of $284,900.
The grant for Steele will support physician-scientists, medical students, pediatric residents and researchers with cutting-edge technology, according to Jeannie Nguyen, general chair of Angel Charity.
“Renovation of the labs will support the NovaSeq 6000 System, a machine that conducts state-of-the-art whole genome sequencing. This is life-saving technology that uses genetics to detect a variety of diseases quickly; it will have a meaningful impact on the lives of children early in the diagnosis process,” said Nguyen.
The machine is capable of sequencing 48 whole human genomes in 40 hours. It is the only instrument in Southern Arizona with that capability and the first instrument of this kind at any university in the state, according to Lori Stratton, director of development at Steele Children’s Research Center.
She said that the generous support from Angel Charity and other community partners and individual donors is vital to the continued growth of Steele Center.
“The laboratory space we have now was built in 1992 and it was built for the scientific needs 30 years ago. The evolution of science means that the needs in labs today are very different than they were three decades ago. We have different equipment and more technology and need different spaces. This gift and investment from Angel Charity will move us forward and allow us to fully utilize the capabilities of this new instrument,” said Stratton.
Nguyen, a 10-year veteran of Angel Charity and Senior Vice President at National Bank of Arizona, said that Angel Charity is proud to invest in the community and provide a hand up for children in need in Pima County.
“Our mission will be finished when every child in Pima County has what they need to thrive. We know there is a lot of need out there and we are not done yet,” said Nguyen.
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