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Play It Forward

Jess Holland and Nick Hoover at the inaugural Play It Forward benefit concert in 2013.

For the second year in a row, Door County musicians, bands and poets will come together to carry on the spirit of the late Bo Johnson through the “Play It Forward” benefit concert on Oct. 26.

Pete Thelen, music coordinator for the event, was the initial driving force behind starting the concert two years ago to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Johnson, a Sister Bay resident who passed away in 2012 after a battle with leukemia.

“This is all about Bo Johnson,” Thelen said. “It was from the very start for me. Not only for me, but I think for our community. It was a point in time that I think about as this young man with this disease turning this community into something of the likes I’ve never seen before.”

Thelen heard Johnson’s story and the many ways individuals and groups from within the community showed their support. He heard about bake sales, bracelet sales and displays of orange to support Johnson through his battle against leukemia, as well as to support the children’s hospital where Johnson was receiving treatment.

“I basically thought, well, what can I do as part of the community?” Thelen recalls asking himself. “As a musician I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if we did a concert at the community auditorium?’”

Thelen put his idea to work. He spoke with Bo’s family, as well as Door Community Auditorium (DCA) board president Larry Thoreson. From there, Thoreson brought it to DCA Executive Director Cari Lewis. The idea was given solid support.

When he was given the go-ahead, Thelen sought out various musicians he has worked with during the past several decades as a singer, songwriter and producer. The original idea was to plan the first concert in the fall of 2012, but as the disease progressed beyond treatment, Thelen and Bo’s family decided to postpone the first concert until 2013. Bo passed away Sept. 28, 2012.

A year later, in October 2013, the first annual Play It Forward Benefit Concert was held at DCA. It featured 10 bands, musicians and a poet and raised just more than $5,000 for the GO BO Foundation, the organization founded to honor Bo and his wish to give back to those in need.

Julian Hagen performs at the first annual Play It Forward benefit concert in 2013.

This year’s lineup on Oct. 26 includes five new musicians, bringing the total number of Door County-based performers to 14. Included are: Found the Lost; Julian Hagen; Jess Holland and Nick Hoover; One Voice; Ben Larsen; Ralph Murre; Madisen Lutz; Dirty Deuce; Elliot Goettelman; Small Forest; Last Man Standing; Thor; Matt Burress; and Mighty Mouth.

“There is a wealth of talent up here,” Thelen said. “So many people in the community want to be on the bill, which is another lovely thing.”

The concert is free and open to the public, with freewill donations accepted. Last year’s performers decided that this year’s concert would benefit the Scandia Village Partners in Compassion campaign, a capital campaign to fund construction and remodeling at Scandia Village, a senior living community in Sister Bay.

Fundraising for the $8 million campaign is nearly complete, with $6.5 million having been raised so far, according to Nicki Scharrig, Director of Marketing and Resource Development at Scandia Village.

Those funds have allowed Scandia Village to move forward on the first two phases of the campaign, which include construction of the wellness/therapy center, 24-unit assisted living complex, short-term rehab suites, private rooms and a café. Construction on the first phase is nearly finished.

The concert has been a welcome opportunity for the senior living community, its residents and staff.

“We’re thrilled. We’re very excited to have the opportunity to be able to share our story during the intermission and to make the legacy of Bo Johnson, this is what he wanted for the community and just to be part of the whole experience,” Scharrig said.

Current fundraising will support the third and final phase, which includes a renovated skilled care center that will offer private rooms with additional space and larger bathrooms along with two enclosed courtyards.

Scandia Village has had a long and loving relationship with the Johnson family, with the late Al Johnson having been among the first group of individuals to push forward on the senior living community. Bo’s uncle, Lars Johnson, is the chairperson for the Partners in Compassion capital campaign.

Paul Sowinski, Lynn Gudmundsen and Julian Hagen on stage during the 2013 Play It Forward concert, which benefited the Go Bo Foundation.

“We’re just very fortunate to have a nice relationship with [the Johnson family] and to see the multigenerational effort,” Scharrig said. “We are important to them and they are important to us as well … they’ve definitely been involved since day one.”

This year’s concert will be filmed and copies will be made and distributed to Scandia Village residents who are unable to make it to the concert. Play It Forward is once again sponsored by Ministry Door County Medical Center.

“We hope people come out and take advantage of a wonderful concert, great musicians and stop by and visit with us so we can tell them a little bit more about the campaign and where we’re at,” Scharrig said.

The Play It Forward concert will begin at 2 pm on Sunday, Oct. 26. Door Community Auditorium is located at 3926 Hwy. 42 in Fish Creek. For more information visit dcauditorium.org or call 920.868.2728.