The Eli Young Band gave a unique concert experience in Salina Saturday. Prior to their show with Darius Ruucker and David Nail, the country stars played an intimate, acoustic set for about 50 people.

The event was put together by Salina Media Group radio station Y 93.7 as a fundraiser to help fight childhood cancer. Those who attended the show had previously become a “Partner in Hope”, pledging $20 a month to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital during a radiothon last week.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a world leader in developing new, improved treatments for children with cancer. They create more clinical trials for cancer than any other children’s hospital. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food, because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since it opened in 1962.

Members of the Eli Young Band are supporters of St. Jude’s mission. The band immediately agreed when approached by Salina Media Group Promotions Director Susan Trafton with the idea of the special event. 

The Saturday set began with a motivational video, showing the St. Jude mission. The band then performed their three biggest hits live. 

In between songs band members talked about what St. Jude means to them. Among those in the audience was a cancer survivor from Gypsum who had been treated at St. Jude. 

Along with being treated to the unique live performance, everyone who attended also received an autographed poster from the band.