Legion, Stewart’s sponsor Race Ricketts concert

American Legion Post 414 in Olney is teaming up with Stewart’s Food Store to bring singers Race Ricketts, Nick Brumley and Presley Haile to town on Feb. 9.

The Legion hopes the event will be the first of a quarterly concert series that will raise money and awareness for Legion programs and invite the public to the new-and-improved Legion, Post Commander Chris Garcia said.

Luke Leonard, a member of the Olney Chamber of Commerce and the Sons of the American Legion, said the idea for a concert series arose during a brainstorming session.

“We wanted to get some events on the calendar for Olney,” Mr. Leonard said. “Race’s dad works here at Tower [Extrusions] so we were talking with him and I asked, what do you think it would take to get them out here because I think this is going to be their big year.”

All three artists are releasing albums soon, and all three have charted, together and separately, on The Ranch Top 12, the most-requested songs played on 95.9 FM in the Metroplex and north Texas.

Mr. Garcia and Mr. Leonard reached out to Stewart’s Food Store to sponsor the first concert.

Stewart’s “was approached about the possibility of sponsoring this as a way to help the American Legion raise some money and do an awesome thing for the town,” Stewart’s store manager Jason Pack said. “I think it’s a great way to ... make money for the American Legion plus bring something new to town for people to enjoy. We are hoping that the turnout from this will be very successful with helping us

potentially do an event like this quarterly. I’m all about helping support things in town that go for a good cause.”

The funds made from the concert will be rolled into a fund to host future concerts this year, Mr. Garcia said.

Tickets will cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door. The Legion sold out of reserved tables shortly after posting the event on Facebook.

The Legion also was exploring have a barbecue food truck on hand to provide refreshments, Mr. Garcia said.

In addition to providing a night of entertainment for Olney, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Leonard hope the event reintroduces Olneyites to the updated, nonsmoking American Legion.

“For a very long time the members were content to have it just as a bar but the American Legion has so much more to offer,” Mr. Garcia said.

“We are slowly trying to rebuild the membership and re-image the Legion.”

For more information about purchasing tickets, go to the Legion’s Facebook page or call (940)564-9383.