Memphis, TN.- Officials at Elvis Presley Enterprises (CKX) authorize Toledo Elvis Fan Club to hold 6th Annual Toledo Elvis Festival on April 4th and 5th, 2008. Event to be held at the Erie Street Market, 237 S. Erie Street. The Festival to honor U.S. Military and Veterans.
Fifty years ago Elvis Aron Presley entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee, on March 24, 1958. He left active duty at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 5, 1960, and received his honorable discharge from the Army. Elvis gave a benefit concert in 1961, which raised over $65,000 toward the U.S.S Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. The resulting publicity gave new life to the fund-raising effort, which had by then, lost almost all of its momentum. The memorial opened a year later.
Elvis Presley’s Sweet Sweet Spirit Fan Club of Toledo, OH will be hosting this event. Proceeds will benefit the Honor Flight Northwest Ohio, a 501(c)(3) organization which has supported the trips of over 5,000 veterans across the United States to our nations capital to visit the memorials with no out of pocket expense. Our goal is to bring awareness to the community through the popularity of Elvis Presley and raise money for those in need.
Toledo Elvis Festival will be conducting a Peoples Choice “Battle of the Bands” Contest where top local musicians will perform Elvis’ Hits with their own style of playing. The selected bands are; Josh Boyd, Chris Shutters, Bob Wurst, Harrison-Erie Band, Tom Treece and Crossroads and The Elements. There will also be an Elvis Tribute Artist Contest with several contestants to entertain. Robert Rosencrantz said, This event is like a two day Star–Trek convention for Elvis fans! There will be Elvis souvenir vendors, food and beverages, Elvis movies, Elvis Music, name that Elvis tune contest, raffle prizes and 50/50 drawings.
Elvis Tribute Artists Robert Rosencrantz and Leo Days, along with the Roustabout Show Band will perform with Elvis’ former musicians, The Imperials, who have won seven Grammy awards for gospel music. The Sweet Inspirations who sang back up vocals for Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Areatha Franklin, Tina Turner and James Brown. DJ Fontana a Rock -n- Roll Pioneer Drummer who played on over 460 recordings with Elvis Presley in the 50’s and 60’s.
With the help and support of our community, all of our charitable efforts will show honor and respect to our veterans.
- Elvis Presley’s Sweet Sweet Spirit Fan Club of Toledo, Ohi | Toledo, OH
elvis-presley@bex.com | www.elvissweetspirit.com | (419) 727-5847
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Michelle– I work at Jeep and am a Team Member of HonorFlightNWO. I would like to get ahold of at least 5 posters to put up at Jeep and one at my husband’s place of business. Rather then sending them — we live in Walbridge so we could easily pick them up sometime at your convenience at the Erie St. Market. Let me know and Thank you for your support of HonorFlightNWO! You are Awesome!
Barb or Larry Kosbab 419-661-1570
P.S. Larry & I would like to donate a $25.00 Kroger Gift Card for your Raffle— is this alright? It is a Gift Card that benefits HonorFlightNWO each time it is reloaded. Let me know when we can bring it to you!