Waldbauer ready to send popular cancer care fundraiser out with a bang

After 14 years of planning, organizing and coordinating, it is finally time for Unity Music Festival Founder Mary Ann Waldbauer of Sheboygan Falls to sit back and relax a bit.

Waldbauer, who founded the Unity Music Festival in 2005 as a way to support local cancer patients in need, has announced that this year’s 15th annual Unity Music Festival at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan on Saturday, April 6 will be the last.

“It’s bittersweet as we are coming up on our 15th and final Unity Music Festival,” Waldbauer said. “This all started out in our basement and a vision from God one night to help people raise money for cancer patients through music. Never did I think God would have had me take this to 15 years. In addition to assisting so many people dealing with cancer who are in great need, this event has given people in our community a wonderful experience by performing on the most prestigious stage around – the Stefanie Weill Center. Our youngest performer was 7 years old and our oldest was 100.”

Over the past 14 years, nearly 60 musical acts and local, regional and national performers have donated their time to entertain audiences during the UMF concert.

“I am so grateful for all the musical performers that have joined us over the years,” Waldbauer said. “It makes me laugh when I think about when I called different musical groups and they would ask what I play or sing. I would say, ‘I sing in the shower, and play with our grand kids. I really have no musical talent. I love to organize and loved seeing how every year this has come together with so many people young and old using their God-given talents. We all have them, everyone’s is just different.”

This year’s final UMF concert, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, features two popular returnees in the The Rice Family and The Eldorado’s, as well as UMF newcomer The Shin Diggs, formerly known as Pretty Naughty.

The Rice Family returns to the UMF lineup as one of the most heralded groups to ever perform at the event.

“The Rice Family is thrilled to be performing in the Unity Music Festival again this year,” Kristen Rice said. “We will be playing a variety of well-known musical selections from classical to bluegrass, and everything in-between. With two children playing in the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra and three children playing in the Sheboygan Area Youth Symphony, there is never a time when music is not being played in our home. The children range in age from 11 to 21 and enjoy playing music together for their church, as well as for various events in the community. Their collection of instruments includes violin, cello, mandolin, banjo, guitar, ukulele, drums and piano.”

Formed in Sheboygan in the early 1960s, The Eldorado’s are contemporaries of musical legends such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and The Ventures.

In the early days, The Edorado’s played regularly at the Shebogyan YMCA, Weiler’s Ballroom in Port Washington and other hot spots throughout Wisconsin with original members Allen Berchem, Don Cvetan, Lance Schuh, Stu Froehlich and Dennis Behring.

Amagingly, three of the original five members (Berchem, Cvetan and Froehlich) are still in the band.

The Shin Diggs, which recently changed their name from Pretty Naughty, are well known locally for playing popular, contemporary music spanning multiple genres.

Formed through a Craiglist ad in 2017, The Shin Diggs have performed at venues throughout Wisconsin, including Headliners in Neenah, Sluggers in Appleton, Chearwater Harbor in Waupaca, Edge-O-Dells in Wisconsin Dells and the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee over the past two years.

“This year is shaping up to be another fantastic line up,” Waldbauer said. “Back by popular demand are the Eldorado’s and The Rice Ramily, while The Shin Diggs are new this year. Our co-emcees are Denice Nugent and Carrie Green from the YMCA Livestrong Progra, which serves cancer patients and cancer survivors. There will also be a grand finale that you won’t want to miss.”

Just as it has each year since its inception, all money raised through the final edition of the Unity Music Festival go to the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund (SCCCF), which assists cancer patients and their families within Sheboygan County.

“Just as it has every other year that I’ve done this, all the proceeds stay local to support the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund,” Waldbauer said. “Its all about people helping people right here in our own community. Anyone suffering a financial hardship due to cancer can benefit from this fund. We can help with heat, light, water, house mortgages, wigs, rent, uninsured medical bills, groceries or gas cards, quality of life classes, etc. We help make their quality of life better while going through this devastating time in their lives.”

Established in 2000, The Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund is the brainchild of local medical oncologist, H. Marshall Matthews, who recognized the need to help cancer patients through their cancer journey; it was established in 2000.

In 2002, 17 gestures totaling $2,700 were approved. Since then, hundreds of gestures, amounting to more than one million dollars, have been accepted by the SCCCF.

Waldbauer says the Unity Music Festival has made great strides in raising funds to assist cancer patients in Sheboygan County, and she is highly focused on making the final UMF the best one yet.

“With the donations of time, great talent, generous contributions and the sponsorships of local businesses, this cancer benefit has raised at total of $392,988 over the past 14 years,” Waldbauer said. “We expect this year’s event to be even bigger and better in order to assist those who fall victim to this devastating disease.”

Over the past 14 years, the Unity Music Festival has thrived as one of the most anticipated annual music-driven fundraising events in the Sheboygan County area with a loyal base of dedicated sponsors and supporters.

“We have so many businesses that have financially supported this event, with donations of items or baskets,” Waldbauer said. “Over the Years we have had Green Bay Packers players serve as emcees, including Mark Tauscher, Chester Marcol, Antonio Freeman, and Chris Jacke, each of which were sponsored by Mersberger Financial in Sheboygan Falls.”

Fundraising activities will kick off the festivities beginning at 5 p.m. with silent and live-auction viewing, as well as dollar and 50/50 raffles.

In addition, a gala appetizer buffet will take place beginning at 5:30 p.m. next door to the Weill Center with Chef Clint Kasprzak and Miesfeld’s staff providing the appetizers.

A limited number of gala appetizer buffet tickets are available for $30 each by contacting Mary Ann Waldbauer by phone at 467-3303 or via email at umfmaryann@charter.net

“Chuck Miesfeld and his staff have been so generous in making the Gala Appetizer Buffet successful, along with Blattners Piggly Wiggly, Schwarz’s Fish, Gosse Tortes, Pick-N-Save, Festival Foods, Piggly Wiggly North and Plymouth, Legend Larry’s and Rich Ramminger, Waldbauer said.

Unlike previous UMFs, the grand finale edition will not feature a live auction during intermission, which means the evening will be filled with even more music.

“A new twist for all that have attended this event in the past years is that that there will be no live auction on stage so that people can enjoy more music,” Waldbauer said. “We will instead have a high-end table along with silent auctions that will line the halls, as well as door raffles and 50/50 raffle tickets.”

General admission tickets are currently on sale for $20 per person and gala buffet tickets are also available for $30.

Show tickets are available in advance at Blattner’s Piggly Wiggly in Sheboygan Falls 1166 Fond du Lac Ave. in Sheboygan Falls, 467-0477), Mary Ann or Rick Waldbauer (998 Huron Trail in Sheboygan Falls, 467-3303), Midwest Dental of Plymouth (1415 Eastern Ave. in Plymouth, 893-8458), Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts (826 North Eighth St. in Sheboygan, 208-3243), Matthews Oncology (1621 North Taylor Drive in Sheboygan, 458-7433), Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic (1222 North 23rd St. in Sheboygan, 457-6800), Plymouth Piggly Wiggly (141 Eastern Ave. in Plymouth, 893-0741), Oostburg Piggly Wiggly (944 Center Ave. in Oostburg, 564-2234), Howards Grove Piggly Wiggly (714 South Wisconsin Drive in Howards Grove, 565-4421), Northside Piggly Wiggly (2905 North 15th St. in Sheboygan, 458-9991), Southside Piggly Wiggly (3124 South Business Drive, 452-0411), Festival Foods (595 South Taylor Drive in Sheboygan, 694-6260), Oostburg State Bank (905 Center Ave. in Oostburg, 564-2336), Trilling True Hardware (901 Michigan Ave. in Sheboygan, 457-5541), Sheboygan Chevrolet Buick (3400 South Business Drive, 459-6804), Falls Healing Arts (275 North Main St., 467-8690) and Midstar Printing (1209 Pilgrim Road in Plymouth, 893-4808).

“I have always kept tickets affordable at $20 hoping some businesses would buy a few tickets up for their employees, and many times people will buy up tickets to give to cancer patients,” Waldbauer said. “It’s a great way to get away from their everyday challenges and have enjoyable night out.”

The Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions by the public are fully tax-deductible.

For more information on the Unity Music Festival visit unitymusicfestival.org or the Unity Music Festival Facebook page.

More information on the Sheboygan County Cancer Care Fund can be found at www.scccf.org.

“Having cancer hit not only me, but my family as well,” Waldbauer said. “I know first-hand the impact this makes on families. I’ve loved hearing the stories from people about how the SCCCF helped them. It has kept me motivated to keep doing this all these years. I am grateful for my very supportive husband over these past 15 years, along with all the help from my children, family, friends, and neighbors. Many have been with me on this journey from day one. I could not have done it without their love and support.”

For additional information about the 2019 Unity Music Festival or to purchase gala appetizer buffet tickets, call Mary Ann Waldbauer at 467-3303 or email umfmaryann@charter.net