Steve Vaus |
iPods, Droids and laptops for the kids, a "holiday" card for the boss, gift cards for the in-laws and some cookies for the delivery worker – that's your shopping for Christmas?
Not so fast, says Grammy-winning artist Steve Vaus, who has performed as Buck Howdy and has handled a long list of musical projects in his career.
He's suggesting that perhaps Americans grateful for their freedoms – you know, speech, religion, association, where to shop and what to buy – might, just might, want to thank a member of the military.
And he's set up a program to make it as simple as clicking your computer. The gift is a ticket to the "Carols by Candlelight" concerts Dec. 9 and 10 in Escondido, Calif.
It's a concert with a tradition more than two decades long that features Clay Walker, who has had 17 top hits, and Jamie O'Neal, whose hit is "Somebody's Hero."
Also on the stage will be Mary James, 2010 ICM Female Vocalist of the Year; Eve Selis; and, of course, Steve Vaus.
Vaus, whose projects have included writing a song to memorialize a dying child and challenging the nation to remember God in "State of the Union," doesn't claim credit for the idea.
He said a fan contacted him about buying tickets and then giving them to members of the military. Vaus' response? "Let's do it."
So a link has been set up allowing grateful Americans to buy tickets to the concert – at a 50 percent discount – that will be distributed to military members and their families.
Proceeds from the concert, which has raised more than $1 million since 1990, benefit the Children's Hospital, Vaus said.
"It's kind of like being at the ultimate Christmas caroling party," he told WND. "I know the inherent goodness of the American public."
He said he's coordinating with Operation Home Front to identify members of the military and their families.
"There's going to be no shortage of people who would like to attend," he said.
He said to sweeten the offer, he's offering his own Christmas CD to those who donate $50 worth of tickets or more.