Wesfest 4 raises $21,000 for Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at Berklee
The fourth annual Wesfest benefit concert took place at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles in February, raising a record $21,000 for the Wes Wehmiller Endowed Scholarship Fund at Berklee College of Music.
The event was established in 2006 by Wes’ family and friends, honoring the legacy of Wehmiller, a Berklee graduate and accomplished bassist who died of thyroid cancer in January, 2005. To date, the event has raised more than $50,000.
Headlining WesFest 4 was The Allan Holdsworth/Alan Pasqua Group, featuring Jimmy Haslip and Chad Wackerman. Steffie Willis, the 2008 recipient of the scholarship, also performed, along with Danny Mo & The Exciters.
“We’re extremely grateful for the contribution of so many individuals involved in the show, as well their efforts to spread the news on the internet and make the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship known world-wide,” says WesFest 4 Producer Stacey Ferguson. “The fact that the WesFest fundraising drive continues to raise more money every year – even in these tough economic times – speaks volumes about how the amazing energy and depth of Wes’ life continues to touch people, and inspires them to carry it on.”
Fans can purchase the first two WesFest concert DVDs and the I, Claudius CD, Bleed: The Wes Demos at the WesFest web site. All net proceeds benefit the fund.
