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Foundation readies Live PC Give PC countdown kickoff

Last year, the Park City Community Foundation raised more than $1 million for local nonprofits during its Live PC Give PC fundraiser.

The event, which was held on Nov. 7 from midnight to midnight, accepted donations from everyone from local residents to people across the nation.

This year, the fundraiser will be held on Friday, Nov. 6, and the Park City Community Foundation wants to build public interest. That’s why it’s hosting a Live PC Give PC kickoff countdown party at O.P. Rockwell on Saturday, Oct. 10, said Ollie Wilder, programs manager of the Foundation.

"We’re really happy to be able to do this," Wilder said during an interview with The Park Record. "We’ll be about four weeks away from the actual fundraiser."

Doors open on Saturday at 7 p.m. and there will be some informal giveaways and a live DJ.

"We are grateful to Skullcandy for providing the prizes and DJ and we will encourage people to post photos and such on social media so they can win these prizes," Wilder said. "We’ll also have a cash bar open throughout the night."

The highlight of the kickoff will be a performance by Park City-based singer and songwriter Bryon Friedman, owner and founder of Soul Poles, a company that makes custom ski poles from bamboo.

"Bryon is a great musician and has written a song especially for this event and this year’s Live PC Give PC fundraiser," Wilder said. "Bryon is a great member of the community and has been a big fan of Live PC Give PC.

"Since he knows some of the key people involved with the fundraiser, he [wanted] to get involved to help promote the event with a song," Wilder said. "This kickoff event will give us the opportunity for him to premiere the song and help everyone get enthusiastic for this year’s day of fundraising."

The song is called "Get Up and Go," Friedman said.

"The Park City Community Foundation wanted to do something different this year and reached out in April or May," Friedman said during an interview. "We sat down and had a chat about what the goal was and what they were looking for as an inspirational drive or anthem for their campaign.

"I think everyone [at the foundation] was wondering how they could reach more people this year, and music is a great way to connect with people," he said. "I think that’s why they asked me because I am from here."

Agreeing to writing a song was a "no brainer" for Friedman.

"I do give a lot away, whether its my time or my product with Soul Poles, to various events, and there is a point and time when I do have to say no, but this was a project that appealed to me," he said. "Part of it was selfish. I wanted to get back into the studio and get musical again because I’ve kind of neglected that in the past few years."

Friedman recruited his friend David Rolfe, who is known for his work with Ari Hest, Wilson Phillips and Bree Sharp.

"David is a great producer and I wanted him to work with me on this," Friedman said. "It is a ton of work, and a lot of volunteer time, but it’s with awesome people."

Friedman and Rolfe scheduled some studio time in July, but decided not to record the song at that time.

"David and I sat down to analyze the song and decided it wouldn’t fit the idea that we all wanted, so we went back to the drawing board three times," Friedman said. "We finally went back into the studio two weeks ago, and we’ve been working the past week in his home studio, and we will finished a few things on my end this week.

"David is a pro and has produced major-label artists in L.A. and New York and he is a perfectionist," Friedman said. "Working with him has been amazing. I can’t say that I’ve worked with anyone as detail-oriented as him."

Although the song won’t be available for purchase by Saturday, Friedman will perform it live with drummer Matt Gordon and bassist Dave Knose, two veteran musicians from Park City.

"I’ve played with these guys over the years," Friedman said. "It will be great to work with them again."

Wilder said this event is part of the Park City Community Foundation’s mission.

"The Park City Community Foundation has three goals," he said. "One is to encourage giving in the community. The second is to support nonprofits, which we do through grants, education and networking, and the third is to get involved in initiatives to make Park City a better place through taking part in leadership roles on important issues.

"So, we’re encouraging people to give, and this is a huge way to give nonprofits a chance to build support and new donors," he said. "It’s also a way for us to connect the community to what nonprofits do. So, it all fits together beautifully."

Live PC Give PC will host an early kickoff party at O.P. Rockwell, 268 Main St., on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., to celebrate the countdown to the annual day of giving that will take place on Friday, Nov. 6. The event is free and open to members of the public ages 21 and older. For more information, visit http://www.parkcitycommunityfoundation.org.


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