The boys—and girl—are back in town. The Drunk Unkles are prepping for their first 2017 fundraiser, their annual InfoComm show, with plans to donate the proceeds from the popular show going to the NSCA Education Foundation.
The Unks will take the stage at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Orlando on Wednesday, June 14, kicking off their 12th year of supporting NSCA’s charitable efforts. In that time, the band has raised more than $1 million for NSCA scholarships and programs such as Ignite, which is targeted at introducing the industry to young people.
This year’s show is dubbed “Being good isn’t always easy” and has featured two redesigned versions of the band’s logo that has either devil horns or a halo.
Tickets for the show can be picked up at designated sponsor booths during InfoComm 2017, or downloaded at www.nscafoundation.org or www.drunkunkles.com.[related]
Cleerline’s Rob D’Addario donated a D’Angelico guitar for the Drunk Unkles to auction during the show. The money raised from this auction will be donated to the NSCA Education Foundation.
Donations from industry professionals, manufacturers, consultant firms, dealers, distributors, rep firms, and integrators as part of this annual event “have allowed the NSCA Education Foundation to establish meaningful and impactful programs, offer scholarships, and provide training opportunities for new professionals and industry veterans,” according to the press release about the show.
The Drunk Unkles’ first charity fundraising event was to help the family of an industry peer who unexpectedly died.
“Through the years, the Drunk Unkles have supported our industry in a way that no other group has,” says Chuck Wilson, director of the NSCA Education Foundation. “Not only is the annual Drunk Unkles performance during InfoComm week a fun way to reconnect, but it brings in funds that allow the NSCA Education Foundation to continue to educate and support the integration industry.”
Sponsors for this year’s event include Advanced AV, AVNation, Barco, Chief, Christie Digital, Cleerline, Commercial Integrator, D’Addario, D’Angelico, Da-Lite, EloTouch Solutions, FSR, Harman, Herman Pro AV, Liberty AV, Milestone, NEC Display, rAVe Publications, Sharp, Solutions360, Stewart Filmscreen, SurgeX, Synnex, West Penn Wire, and Winsted.
Their support helps fund industry programs such as IGNITE and Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS K-12).
The Drunk Unkles all-star band features Felix Robinson of AVI-SPL, “Unkle” Steve Emspak and Marc Hochlerin of Shen Milsom & Wilke, Mike Phillips of Hudson Marketing Inc., John Cardone of Cardone Solomon and Associates, and “Aunt” Lisa Wenger, formerly of Bosch Communications Systems and now with the Lisa Wenger Band.
