Music, fun on tap to benefit charity Sunday

Aug. 25—Local bands often have strong followings. And Idle Hands is certainly one whose fans are devout.

The local country group has become a powerhouse, drawing crowds from near and far to every gig they helm. The foursome includes Johnny White, lead singer and acoustic guitarist; his brother, Lamar White on drums; Jimmy Butler on bass; Andy Leanza, lead guitar, and Aaron Dixon, lead guitarist and harmony vocalist.

In addition to regular appearances at Brunswick restaurants like Toucan's and Moondoggy's, they've also cropped up at a number of festivals — Shrimp and Grits and the Crawfish Festival in Woodbine.

But another key element of their music is charity appearances.

"Those are the types of things we really love," Johnny White confirmed.

And this weekend, they'll be back at it — serving up tunes for an important fundraiser for Operation Bed Spread . From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Idle Hands will perform at Operation Bed Spread's Back to School BEDlam at Brogen's South on St. Simons Island. The event is designed to help generate much-needed funds for the local nonprofit, which provides beds for those in need. Funds raised from the $25 ticket sales and from a raffle for a Traeger grill will go toward meeting that goal.

For Operation Bed Spread founder, Rees Carroll, these events — one in the fall and one near Christmas — are critically important to the cause.

"This one is particularly important because school has started and the requests start rolling in. I think it takes a little bit of time for kids to get into classes and for teachers and guidance counselors to realize they don't have beds. They may be falling asleep in class or something like that. It's the third week of school so now we're getting a better idea of the need," Carroll said.

Each year, that need only seems to grow. Since its founding, Operation Bed Spread has provided beds for more than 1,400 people, mostly local children.

"It's 1,467 (since 2012). I just delivered three this morning," he said Tuesday.

The fundraiser will certainly help the nonprofit manage the influx of requests that accompany the start of school. But regardless of how much is raised, Carroll knows that it won't last long. Between the constant demand and the ever-increasing cost of managing the charity, Operation Bed Spread is in a constant need of donations.

Many, Carroll notes, have donated during the holidays which have provided an unmeasurable boost during dire times. And he's extremely grateful for that. But unfortunately, the need isn't seasonal and local children are in constant need of a cozy place to sleep.

"It's 12 months, 365 days of the year. It's important that people understand that. It's all the time," he said.

—To donate to Operation Bed Spread or to follow its work, visit the group's Facebook page or operationbed.org. Donations will gladly be accepted even if donors are unable to attend Sunday's event.