Tickets are on sale for the fourth annual Concert Under the Stars, a fundraiser for The Greenhouse Project, featuring Pablo Cruise, Jaime Kyle and Northern Nevada’s own The Mighty Surf Lords.

The event takes place July 11 at Café at Adele’s and begins with the silent auction at 5 p.m., followed at 6 p.m. with happy, fun-filled music by The Mighty Surf Lords, who also played the venue last year and who open this year for Jaime Kyle and Pablo Cruise.

“This is year two and won’t be our last,” said Billy Woods, band founder and lead guitarist. “We get to open for some rally big stars and it’s a worthy cause.”

“Besides an evening of great music, this is about raising awareness,” said Karmin Courter-Robbins, Woods’ wife and bassist for the group. “And we love supporting Karen’s (Abowd) causes.”

Karen’s cause in this case was a vision for a sustainable, healthy food source for those in need through a public-private partnership, building a greenhouse where children could also learn about where their food came from and take an active role in helping others in their community.
Since it began operation in October 2011, The Greenhouse Project has done that and then some.

To underscore the impact of The Greenhouse Project, consider this: produce has gone to feed those in need via several outreach programs in the community and the blooms for the flower baskets and floral arrangement programs were all grown there. Also impactful is the re-introduction of agriculture curriculum to Carson High School by restoring the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program with 18 members, three of whom went on to receive state and national awards. In response to the program’s success and student interest, the high school has hired a full-time ag teacher and FFA’s enrollment for the coming school year stands at 80 pupils.

Seeing what good has come and will continue has meant great support for A Concert Under The Stars from various organizations.

“NV Energy and Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center each gave substantial grants which is huge in helping us offset the costs of the event,” said Karen, event coordinator and Greenhouse Project president. “We are hopeful we’ll reach our $25,000 goal, which would be optimal.”

In addition, a silent auction featuring yard art by local artists and dignitaries and everything from a week in Kauai to golf and concert packages, will take place.

Monies raised will go toward the continuing operational costs of the greenhouse.

In addition to raising money and awareness, the focus will be on fun, friends and music, those things in life Karen and her husband, Chef Charlie Abowd, who co-owns Café at Adele’s with her, find most important.

The Mighty Surf Lords look forward to playing not only for the opportunity it brings them to open for bigger acts, but it is also in keeping with their own commitment to supporting those in need.

Nearly three years ago, Woods and Courter-Robbins founded The Loving Hearts Club, a loosely organized group of volunteers who feed the homeless at Record Street in Reno every Sunday, rain or shine. The Abowds are among the organizations’ most ardent supporters, providing food and hands-on help each week.

“I am passionate about cooking and I love feeding people who come to Café at Adele’s,” Charlie said. “But it is my dream to one day cook only for those who are in need.”

The Loving Hearts Club started with a few people and has grown to some 100 or more volunteers and business owners gathering to feed anywhere from 200 to 1,000 people each week. And they never know until they get there how many will need food, and there’s always enough, Courter-Robbins said.

“It is really quite something how there is always, always enough,” she said. “We can’t plan these things and it always works, no matter what is needed - food, or blankets and clothing, everyone is taken care of and volunteers come out even on (major) holidays – this is the phenomenal aspect of this group.”

The ripple affect has children wanting their schools and friends to participate as well and so, where there once was none, on Record Street at least, meals are now served once a day by one organization or another.
“We simply felt a need to serve the hungry and share some love…it’s a simple thing, really and others have gotten involved,” Woods said. “And the love thing comes out in our music as well.”

The Mighty Surf Lords play a variety of original songs, as well as some classic, surfing favorites with updated arrangements. They added a new drummer, George “He’s A Keeper,” Gamble in December and with the recent death of Woods’ son Randy, every show will be performed in his honor.
“The show must go on…it’s what he would have wanted,” Woods said. “He was our biggest fan.”

Jaime Kyle, longtime songwriter and performer will also take the stage before Pablo Cruise. Doors open to food and silent auction at 5 p.m. Main stage music begins at 6 p.m. and headliner at 8 p.m. Gordon’s Backyard BBQ will serve Portabella Mushroom Sandwiches and salads, LA Bakery’s pastries will be available, High Sierra Brewing Co. is serving beer and Wirtz Beverage is providing magnums of wine.

Tickets for A Concert Under the Stars cost $40 for general admission and $60 for VIP seats,by calling 866-967-8167 or on-line at http://carsoncitygreenhouse.org where there’s a link for showtix4u.com. Café at Adele's is located at 1112 N. Carson St., Carson City. For more information about The Greenhouse Project or to make donations for the auction, call Karen Abowd at 775-232-8626.