Culture
Dream Big: Area Family Recruits Bands for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Benefit
By: Cheyanne Skaggs
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Ten-year-old Adyn Bucher is planning on rocking out this Saturday at Jackie O’s. And you’re invited to join her.
Adyn and her family are hosting the first-ever benefit for Adyn’s Dream, a non-profit charity dedicated to providing assistance to families that have members who are living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
The benefit concert will feature one of Athens’ top bands, The D-Rays, and Oldboy, a folk-rock quintet from Cleveland. Attendees will also have the opportunity to buy raffle tickets for the Ohio State/Michigan football game scheduled for Nov. 29 in Columbus.
Both of the bands were handpicked by Adyn, who was born with SMA Type 2. Like every child born with SMA, she has faced many challenges during her first 10 years, and will continue to do so in the years ahead.
Despite being unable to move freely, Adyn has not let SMA stop her from enjoying the activities she loves, including attending concerts by her favorite musicians, many of whom have been happy to spend time with her before or after shows.
In 2013, while returning from an Old Crow Medicine Show concert in Nashville, Adyn and her father, Brian Bucher, discussed how she could combine her love of music with her desire to help other families who have children with SMA.
Since living with SMA is costly and many families need assistance to pay for equipment, home and vehicle modifications and hospital bills, the Buchers decided to start a non-profit, Adyn’s Dream, that would help provide financial assistance to those in need.
The organization plans to raise money through hosting live music events and other activities. According to a post on the Adyn’s Dream Facebook page, Adyn and her team are working hard to bring “top-notch” music to Athens.
“She wants to be able to raise money for these kids who are living through the same kinds of experiences we’ve lived through,” said Brian, who is executive director of Adyn’s Dream. “She wants to do this with live music because it’s played a great role in her life and going to shows is one of her favorite things in the world to do.”
Adyn’s Dream was launched last June and has been collecting donations since then. In addition to this weekend’s show, Adyn and Brian hope to host an annual music festival at Ohio University. The organization has already forged ties with some of the bands that performed at this year’s Hocktoberfest, such as Bombadil and The Shook Twins.
“That would be a goal in the near future,” said Brian, who is currently focused on this weekend’s event. So is Adyn, who posted a personal invite to her Facebook followers.
“I’ll be there and I’d love to meet you all at my first fundraiser!” she exclaims in a video posted last weekend.
Saturday’s show starts at 10 p.m. Donations will be accepted at the door. For more information about Adyn’s Dream, visit www.adynsdream.org.