CHRIS: Needs your help

One of our favorite summertime activities is to enjoy the Sunday afternoon Concert in the Park series, held most Sundays from late June through early September. These family-friendly events are held at the Rotary Bandshell at the Coeur d’Alene City Park. Handshake Productions, owned by Chris Guggemos, produces these free concerts, as well as free concerts on Sherman Avenue and in Hayden.

We love the entire experience surrounding these concerts. Hundreds of people bring picnic lunches, couples dance and sing along with the bands, and parents and grandparents dance and laugh with their children and grandchildren. Think of the line from the Chicago song, “Saturday, here in the park, you’d think it was the Fourth of July.” Norman Rockwell should have painted this. The scene is timeless, and a rollicking good party. It is the quintessential North Idaho event for the entire family, free, fun and fulfilling.

You may have read a recent Press article about our friend, Chris Guggemos, the producer of these concerts. He had cancer surgery on Sept. 22 and is now in rehabilitation. Chris will not be able to contact folks to help with sponsoring the 2017 concerts, so we need your help.

We (the Atchleys) have sponsored these concerts for years and will continue to sponsor the Concert in the Park series. We invite and implore you to join us in raising the revenue for next summer’s concerts. The sponsorships range from $250 to $5,000. If you would like to sponsor any of the three concert series, please leave a message on the Facebook page of Handshake Productions. Someone will be in contact with you. Or, please telephone Kiki Miller at (208) 667-2314. Ms. Miller is coordinating a team of volunteers, community leaders who are helping secure the sponsorships and success of the 2017 concert season.

Also, Chris’ medical bills will be hefty, for sure. So, if you want to help him personally get back to full health, please go to GoFundMe.com and type in “Chris Guggemos.” You will find it easy to give Chris some help. We are certain that he will be eternally grateful for any amount you contribute.

Please keep Chris in your prayers and let’s look forward to a big-time celebration of his return next June!

LES and JANET ATCHLEY

Coeur d’Alene