| Fun, fundraising at fest |
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| Wednesday, 04 June 2008 | |||
It wasn’t the prospect of turning a profit that made Anthony Tobias want to bring a music festival to San Antonio, nor was it the ghostly image of Jim Morrison saying, “If you book them, they will come.”
He had no idea the festival would grow so fast. What began as a two-day event that featured only three bands, the SAS Fest has become a three-day event that has brought in as many as 10,000 spectators in previous years. It has also become host to about 40 children from the Children’s Shelter, and one of the leading sponsors of Any Baby Can, a local nonprofit that helps children who have serious illnesses, disabilities or other special needs. It was three or four years ago when Tobias first realized that his music festival had become more than an escape from his problems, and instead an answer to them. A group of children, half of them relying on oxygen tanks, arrived from the nearby Ronald McDonald House to express their appreciation for the opportunity to see the festival. “It may just be a festival for some people to have a good weekend,” he said. For others, it’s an answer to the problem of raising money to help children. One quarter of all profits from the event go to Any Baby Can, and the SAS Fest has raised about $10,000 for the organization since it began. The sixth annual SAS Fest runs Friday, June 6, through Sunday, June 8, at Crockett Park. South Texas favorites such as gorditas and beef and sausage tacos, as well as New Orleans foods such as fish, po’boys and oysters, will be served at booths. Ten jazz artists will perform throughout the weekend, and student musician workshops will be held for middle school and high school students or anyone who is interested in learning about jazz and the music industry. A saxophone player himself, Tobias wants to educate San Antonio about the different styles of jazz, a genre that is not so well-known in South Texas. “San Antonio is almost 52 percent Hispanic,” he said, “yet a lot of people aren’t familiar with Latin jazz.” Los Jazz Vatos from Austin fit that bill and will perform Friday. More artists will perform throughout the festival. Tobias has a larger goal for the SAS Fest. He wants to go international. “The dream is literally to be like the Montreal Jazz Festival,” he said. Jonathan Munson | 210SA contributor
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