Courage, hope, survival concert
30,000 students x $5 donation = $150,000 to Provo Survivor
The benefit concert, to be held on Nov. 12, will help provide much-needed financial relief for medical bills for the Provo Survivor, who survived a brutal attack during the summer. Alison Worthen /UVU Review
When people think of heavy metal music, one of the last things on their mind is service.
This Nov. 12, however, three bands will be joining forces with Dr. Steve Fullmer from the English and Literature Department and Dr. Ron Hammond from the Sociology Department. They will entertain students and members of the community with a heavy metal concert, while encouraging everyone to donate to the Provo Survivor cause.
The Provo Survivor is a student who was raped and nearly killed on the Provo River Trail behind the Branbury apartments. While she tries to pick up the pieces to put her life and put them back together, the medical bills are piling up.
Charges are being filed against Shawn Leonard for the June 9 rape and assault. According to police reports, the victim’s face was hit with a rock and a brick several times by the attacker, causing broken facial bones, a broken jaw and the loss of several teeth.
Although she has been scarred for life, her courage and hope have helped her survive and she eagerly plans for a bright future.
To repair the facial fractures, she has been through many surgeries and has no insurance. In order to help her, community residents, as well as BYU and UVU, have been organizing different events to raise funds to pay her medical bills. The benefit concert is part of this effort.
`“Everyone is pitching in. The bands are getting paid, but donating it back to the cause,” Fullmer said. “It’s just awesome how everyone is getting involved. … Students will come and they will donate; everyone helps.”
Admission to the concert is free, but donations are highly encouraged. According to Fullmer, this concert will be different than others, full of emotion because it is something that is very close to home.
“The thing about this one is that it’s going to be a very emotional, personable concert. I switched gears to this Provo Survivor because the bills are just astronomical from what I hear, so I want to step in,” he said. “I already have community support, departments have donated other monies, the dean has pitched in money and 100 percent of donations from the concert will go to the survivor.”
Fullmer mentioned he is very optimistic that if all students were to donate, that could be up to 30,000 people donating. Even if it was a small amount, it could turn out to be a good amount to help with the medical bills.
If every student donates $5 the university could raise $150,000 to give the student to pay off her medical bills.
Info box:
Provo Survivor Concert
Location: Center Stage
Date: Nov. 12
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free, but donations are highly encouraged