Charity Event Ready To Rock
June 24, 2009 06:45:08 by Ryan Haidet
Are you a rabid reality TV fan? Then why are you sitting on the couch?!?!? This weekend dozens of reality stars are ready to rock Louisville, Kentucky, for the sixth annual Kentuckiana Police/Firefighter’s Summer Bash Benefit. This Saturday night you can meet more than 35 of the most popular Survivor contestants including Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Rupert Boneham, JT Thomas Jr. and Todd Herzog along with loads of Amazing Race folks and a few from American Idol (complete list of reality stars attending below).
Not only will the event provide you with the opportunity to get face-to-face with your favorites, but it will also help raise money for a great cause.
At 8 p.m. Saturday (June 27) the long list of reality stars will be gathered together at the Galt House hotel in the Grand Ballroom. “Our event is kind of a combination of a dance and social gathering of all our celebrity guests and the local community,” says Kelly Jones, who is one of the event’s organizers. “It’s an opportunity for folks who attend to get arm to arm with all of our celebrity guests. Everyone who attends our function is guaranteed a picture and an autograph with those who are actually in attendance. We’re not like some events that rope our guests off.”
There is also a silent auction at the event where guests can bid on one-of-a-kind items.
Even though the event itself only takes place for a few hours, work on planning it has been going on for months. “I couldn’t begin to calculate the true number of man hours,” Jones explains. “It probably legitimately takes us about nine to 10 months overall.” It starts with getting sponsors, and he says they start building the guest list around January 1.
The proceeds from the event are used to purchase gifts for children left in the hospital around Christmas time with the remainder of the money going to Kosair Charities.
Again, the ticket price is $50 for the event and it’s located at the Galt House hotel’s Grand Ballroom.
Jones encourages any fan of reality television to stop on out. “It’s a good time, it’s a fun time and it’s for a great cause.”
If you can’t make it to the event, but would like to help anyway, you can still donate some money by going to the event’s website.
And if you’re a fan of amusement parks, swing on out to Six Flags: Kentucky Kingdom earlier on Saturday afternoon. The reality stars will be participating in the Kentucky Challenge, which is an Amazing Race-style event throughout the park. So as you’re making your way around, you just might happen to run into a few of them.
* Writer’s Note *
I have personally been to this event for the last two years and it is absolutely flawless. If you have the time, I highly encourage stopping out. You won’t regret it!
Here is the complete list of everybody who is attending the event. (NOTE: The list is subject to change).
Survivor contestants
Bejamin “Coach” Wade — Survivor: Tocantins
Bob Crowley — winner of Survivor: Gabon
Bobby Mason — Survivor: Exile Island
Brook Gerahty — Survivor: Vanuatu
Bruce Kanegai — Survivor: Exile Island
Cecilia Mansilla — Survivor: Cook Islands
Chris Daugherty — winner of Survivor: Vanuatu
Courtney Yates — Survivor: China
Cristina Coria — Survivor: Cook Islands
Debbie Beebe — Survivor: Tocantins
Eliza Orlins — Survivor: Vanuatu & Survivor: Fans Vs. Favorites
Erik Huffman — Survivor: China
Erik Reichenbach — Survivor: Fans Vs. Favorites
Erinn Lobdell — Survivor: Tocantins
JT Thomas Jr. — winner of Survivor: Tocantins
James “Redneck” Miller — Survivor: Palau
Jaime Dugan — Survivor: China
Jessica “Sugar” Kiper — Survivor: Gabon
Joe Dowdle — Survivor: Tocantins
Lea “Sarge” Masters — Survivor: Vanuatu
Leslie Nease — Survivor: China
Matty Whitmore — Survivor: Gabon
Michael “Frosti” Zernow — Survivor: China
Rita Verreos — Survivor: Fiji
Rupert Boneham — Survivor: Pearl Islands & Survivor: All-Stars
Sandy Burgin — Survivor: Tocantins
Sierra Reed — Survivor: Tocantins
Spencer Duhm — Survivor: Tocantins
Stephen Fishbach — Survivor: Tocantins
Susie Smith — Survivor: Gabon
Tanya Vance — Survivor: Thailand
Terry Dietz — Survivor: Exile Island
Todd Herzog — winner of Survivor: China
Travis “Bubba” Sampson — Survivor: Vanuatu
Yau-Man Chan — Survivor: Fiji & Survivor: Fans Vs. Favorites
Amazing Race contestants
Daniel Honig — season 13
David and Mary — season 10 & All-Stars
Dennis and Andrew — season 3
Eric Sanchez — winner of All-Stars
Godwin and Erwin — season 10
Jenniffer Hoffman — season 14
Jodi Wincheski — season 14
Linda and Steve — season 14
Lyn Turk — season 10
Ray and Deana — season 7
The Linz Family — winners of the family edition
Tom and Terry — season 10
Uchenna Agu — season 7 winners and All-Stars
Pirate Master
Christa DeAngelo
Kendra Guffey
American Idol
Haley Scarnato — season 6
Lindsey Cardinale — season 5
Outback Jack
Vadim and Natalie Dale.
For more information, visit the event’s site at
http://www.kpffb.org/.
You can read my reviews of the event from the last two years.
June, 2008: Kentucky Charity A Total Blast!
June, 2007: Reality TV Charity In Kentucky A Five-Star Event
Stay tuned to RealityTVMagazine.com for exclusive coverage and interviews from the event
http://realitytvmagazine.sheknows.com/blog/2009/06/24/charity-event-ready-to-rock/