Sammy Hagar Announces First Post-Coronavirus Concert
Sammy Hagar and the Circle will perform in front of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Sept. 18 as part of a charity event that includes a celebrity golf tournament. It will be his first post-coronavirus performance.
Rockin’ Fore the Kids will raise money for the Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancers and Blood Disorders at Akron’s Children’s Hospital, MusiCares and local food banks.
Also appearing on the bill will be the Ohio Weather Band and a pair of country acts, Brother Trouble and Ira Dean. Retired athletes Jim McMahon, Bret Saberhagen, Larry Johnson and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini are scheduled to take part in the evening. A silent auction will assist in the fundraising efforts.
A few months ago Hagar stated that he'd “rather personally get sick and even personally die, if that’s what it takes. We have to save the world and this country from this economic thing that’s going to kill more people in the long run." He later assured fans assured that he’d be “safe and responsible” when he returned to performing live.
A press release states that the upcoming concert "will be produced according to all COVID-19 guidelines" and that "social distancing guidelines will be followed at the outdoor concerts." All attendees will be required to fill out a questionnaire and have their temperature taken. While masks are required to enter the Rock Hall, they are not mandatory at the outdoor plaza, where the capacity will be limited to 1,000 guests.
"When we started LOPen Charity Events back in 2003, my wife Jennifer and I never thought it would grow to where it is today," organizer Phil Lopez said. "The plan was to put on an event the first year and hope we raised some money to help kids fighting cancer. Today, we are marking our 18th and final year producing the event, which has grown into an annual weekend program featuring some of the biggest names in music and sports.
"We hope this year’s event proves to raise even more money to help kids battling cancer at the hospital. It’s about saving lives and providing the best treatment possible for the children. We also thought that with all the other issues going on in this world, we would allocate some of this years donations to help out MusiCares and local food banks.”