RED BANK – The organizers of a local charitable event say they will not be deterred from hosting it this year because of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
Created five years ago by Dr. Nicholas Zeik DDS MS and Telegraph Hill Records to raise money for charity and to celebrate Red Bank and surrounding communities, Zeik Dental Jam 5.0 is going live on Facebook on June 28.
There will be five hours of continuous live virtual entertainment from noon to 5 p.m. available to all who tune in, according to a press release.
Since the Jam cannot have a live crowd this year to collect donations, organizers are directing donations for multiple nonprofit organizations via a single online fund, which is open now for contributions, at https://www.gofundme.com/f/zeik-dental-jam-donationfund
Telegraph Hill Records, an independent record label based out of Asbury Park and New York City, has hosted and produced for others multiple online charitable endeavors since the pandemic quieted New Jersey venues in March, according to the press release.
Co-founder Matt Fernicola is confident Zeik Dental Jam will meet or exceed the success of recent online events like the “Crowd Noise” and “Parkfest,” which raised thousands of dollars for the United Way and the Asbury Park Music Foundation among others, according to the press release.
“We have the livestream thing down to a science at this point. It’s not ideal, but it’s all we have and leveraging it to do good is important to us. We all want our community to come back strong and consider things like this doing our part,” he said.
The music lineup and information on how to stream to watch will be posted at https://www.facebook.com/events/2247052578930138/
The beneficiaries for Zeik Dental Jam this year are:
• Heartstrings – a music program that leverages artist development to enhance the lives of economically disadvantaged and potentially at-risk individuals;
• The Project Matters – established to assist aspiring New Jersey musicians in memory of singer/songwriter Benjamin High;
• Jersey Animal Rescue Inc. – Monmouth County’s local animal rescue;
• Move For Hunger – a national nonprofit organization that has created a sustainable way to reduce food waste and fight hunger;
• Musicians on a Mission – a network of New Jersey musicians who improve the community through their music and their support of charities.
For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.telegraphhillrecords.com