Lakeside Ballroom Hosting “Band Together for Good” for Youth Mental Health

Posted: September 19, 2022

WAUKON, IOWA (September 9) — Three natives of northeast Iowa are joining forces to host the Band Together for Good fundraiser on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at the Lakeside Ballroom and Sports Bar in Guttenberg, Iowa. Kyle Selberg of Lakeside, Mollie Marti of the nonprofit Worldmaker, and Rachelle Howe of the Mental Health Today are raising funds to support youth mental health and resilience programming in Allamakee County. All three of the organizers are natives of Waukon, Iowa who share a passion for supporting youth and families in their hometown.

The event will feature the band Triple Threat, a popular band in northeast Iowa. The event will run from 7p.m. – 11p.m., with the Lakeside Sports Bar opening for dinner at 5:30p.m. The evening will feature music and dancing, food and drink specials, a raffle, and silent auction. Entry is open to all, and a goodwill donation can be made at the door.

“When my partners, Ron Shorkey and Norie McCullick, and I bought the Lakeside Ballroom, giving back to the community was an important part of our vision,” said Selberg. “In the short time we’ve owned the Lakeside, we’ve hosted three major fundraisers. I’m personally excited that this one will be for my hometown and for such an important cause.”

The organizers are excited to welcome the Triple Threat band not only for its great music, but also because it mirrors their own collaboration. Selberg explains, “We were moving forward with another band and at the last minute, schedules shifted and then Triple Threat offered to help. We thought that’s actually quite perfect given how the three of us – with very different skill sets but a shared passion to support kids and mental health – are working together to do more good in our hometown.”

Rachelle Howe, who founded Mental Health Today in Waukon after the death of her husband by suicide, says that a lot of good has already been accomplished by working with Worldmaker, a nonprofit that provides education to help people prepare for, adapt to, and grow through adversity. “With the support of the Allamakee County Community Foundation and others, we have hosted seven free community sessions and we have eight more scheduled between now and the end of the year. The funds raised with the help of our new partner, Lakeside, are needed to complete this programming and build momentum into next year!”

“The community sessions, offered at no cost to participants, are one-hour workshops focused on a specific component of resilience, followed by refreshments and social time. The sessions are based on the THRIVE Resilience Model developed by Marti, a resilience researcher, after her community of Mount Vernon, Iowa lost three teens by suicide. “The workshops are designed to be fun while providing useful ways to deal with and overcome challenges,” she explains. “Worldmaker does the work of digging into the research and creating practical tools that people can use right away to strengthen themselves and help others.””

Howe says that the biggest surprise so far is how much this education is resonating with young people themselves. “It’s been great to see these sessions not only appeal to adults, but also to older teens. Our kids have so much going on these days and many are struggling. They’re really looking for tools to cope with stress in healthy ways and to be a better friend to someone in need.”