By Rachel Hall
Multiple bands are lining up for a jam session on Saturday, May 6, benefiting the family and funeral expenses of 3-month-old Lux Anthony Godkin who passed away unexpectedly at home in his sleep in April.
“The jam session will be inside the theatre from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will be shutting down Travis St. from Hanson up to E. Houston for vendors to fill up the block,” explained PWR Owner CL Smith, who is also a close family friend of the Godkin family.
Smith decided to host the benefit knowing the young family with a newborn’s funeral arrangements need all of the help and support they can get from family, friends, and community members.
“There are not too many young couples at that age [in their 20s] that have everything planned out in case there is a death in the family. I know I didn’t when I got married and started having kids. I didn’t have any of that lined up and if it would have happened to me, I would have been in the same position as them with no burial plot or anything,” said Smith.
The story of tragedy and loss touched the heart of Smith who not only pulled together plans for a benefit, but also reached out to Neal Funeral Home on behalf of the Godkin family to help make arrangements.
“Neal Funeral Home has been great. They always come to bat, especially when it’s an infant,” said Smith who added there were additional burdens the family is facing beyond the funeral service such as time lost off work, medical expenses, and other bills that have fallen behind.
“They have had to take weeks off work and when they return, they won’t be making double the salary. Everyone knows once you fall behind it is hard to catch up and that is why we would like to be able to present them with $20,000 by the end of the benefit,” said Smith.
All of the money collected for the jam session, concession stand, silent auction, and vendor booth rentals will 100 percent go to the family. Food trucks, including as L&D Smoke Shack featuring barbecue selections and Buckshots Crawfish, will be onsite and selling a delicious variety of lunch and dinner options with a portion of their profits also being donated back to the family.
The music lineup will be released on PWR Texan Theatre’s Facebook page so individuals can plan when they would like to stop by the benefit based on the music they would like to hear. Tickets are only available at the door for $10 and allow entry to one band show or all of them if the visitor wants to stay the entire day. A silent auction will be displayed and will close for bids at 4:30 p.m. in time to announce winners.
“There are a lot of things going on that day, including the Liberty Church Car Show and proms for Cleveland and Tarkington. Plus, it’s Election Day,” said Smith. “But we will have the schedule posted so people can plan to attend the jam session early and then go home to get ready for prom; or visit us and the car show or the car show and then us based on their preference for which bands they would like to hear. We are not that far from each other and our hours end around the same time.”
Additional silent auction items are being collected at the PWR Office located at 117 N College the day before the benefit to get it all ready to go on display. Smith would love to see a snocone stand or funnel cake vendor sign up for a booth space that are also still available to be reserved. The goal is to have a block party for a good cause and for everyone to have a good time enjoying music, concessions, food, local artists, handmade items for sale, a silent auction, a variety of vendors, and fellowship.
“The community out here – every time whether it be flood or unexpected death whether it be a child or an adult – they always come together and rise up and support one another,” said Smith.