Fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel benefiting the Bridging Freedom Organization
The Pasco Blues Festival hosts leading Blues performers from the Tampa Bay area and national award-winning acts at the beautiful Land O Lakes Heritage Park each year. In 2022 Florida Penguin Productions and the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel are partnering to raise funds for the Bridging Freedom Organization. Event profits including Ticket sales & adult beverage sales for this event will help raise funding to build a facility in Pasco County to house female minors who were rescued from Human Sex Trafficking in Florida.
Description from the Bridging Freedom website: “Child sex-trafficking is a horrific crime that robs the innocence of its victims and causes significant physical, mental and emotional trauma. In the United States each year, approximately 300,000 children – at the average age of 12 – are prostituted against their will, forced to provide sexual acts for an average of 15 men a night.
Bridging Freedom’s mission is to combat minor sex-trafficking by bringing restoration to those rescued and victim prevention to those we reach with our message. We educate the community and work with partnering organizations to increase awareness about this horrendous issue.
We built Florida’s urgently needed therapeutic safe home campus community to provide long-term, comprehensive care to these victims in a secure environment.”
Blues Performers from across Tampa Bay have gathered to help raise funds for this local cause including local favorite Jam Band – The Jukebox Johnnies kicking off the show at 12:30pm.
The second act is Dottie Kelly & The Rock the House Band – Dottie Kelly is a powerhouse blues singer, with over 20 years of performing experience. Once you hear Dottie Kelly sing you can’t help but get up and dance.
The third act of the day is the incredible Alex Lopez. His third album, “Slowdown” achieved a new level of success with international recognition and critical acclaim rising up the blues, jam and Americana charts with worldwide airplay and earning Alex fans across the globe. The latest recently released album “Yours Truly, me…” went to #6 on the blues Radio charts and clearly positioned Alex to continue his ascent in contemporary blues. Alex has just released his most ambitious album to date, the pure blues rocker “Rising up” already at the top of the radio and billboard charts and what early reviewers are saying “is sure to be one of this year’s best blues/rock albums.”
Finally, the headlining star of the show, Castro Coleman a-k-a Mr. Sipp, “The Mississippi Blues Child” is generously traveling all the way from Mississippi to help raise funds for this great cause. Mr. Sipp is the 2014 International Blues Challenge Winner by way of The Vicksburg Blues Society as well as the 2014 Gibson Best Guitarist Award Winner. The same year Castro was given the Bobby Rush Entertainer of the Year Award by the Jus’ Blues Foundation. In 2015, he won several Jackson Music Awards including International Male Blues Artist, Blues Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the year.
He was the BMA Best New Artist Album winner 2016 and The Spirit of Little Walter Award 2016. The same year, Castro was the first blues artist to have his handprint inducted into the Wall of Fame in Fredrikshavn Denmark. For the 25th Annual Living Blues Awards, he won the Best Blues Album of 2017 New Recordings award (Contemporary Blues) with “Knock a Hole In It”, and in 2018 he won the National Blues Artist of The Year award at 44th Annual Jackson Music Awards.
Limited Early Bird Tickets are available at a discounted rate of $15, and $18 on Eventbrite.com & Facebook.com by searching “Pasco Blues Festival” (while supplies last). Adult Entry at the gate is $20 with proceeds benefiting the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club.
Live Performance Schedule
12:30 PM – The Jukebox Johnnies
2:30 PM – Dottie Kelly & The Rock the House Band
4:30 PM – Alex Lopez
6:30 PM – Mr. Sipp – The Mississippi Blues Child
WHEN & WHERE
March 12th, 2022 | 12p – 8p
Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park | 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd, Land O’ Lakes, FL 34639
Contact 727-674-1464 for questions about the event, tickets, procedures, or limitations.