South Ga. non-profit to hold first annual benefit concert in Albany
‘Rock for a Miracle’ is set to take place Saturday, November 11th at 3 p.m. at Chehaw Park
ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - If you’re looking to have some fun in the sun on Saturday, Nov. 11, listen up! A South Georgia non-profit that provides outdoor access for those with disabilities will be holding its first annual benefit concert, “Rock for a Miracle,” at Chehaw Park in Albany.
The benefit concert will help people, like Josh, be able to do what he loves most: hunt.
Over 20 years ago, Josh was in a motor vehicle accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Before his injury, Josh would go hunting pretty regularly. Now at 38 years old, he has only been hunting once since his accident. That was until he heard about Miracle in the Woods.
“It’s very personal to me, because y’all are all about helping people with disabilities enjoy hunting,” said Josh. “And it’s a lifelong dream for me come true.”
The Miracle in the Woods Foundation is a non-profit that started in 2022. It gives people with special needs, disabilities and military veterans the chance to participate in the outdoors, to go hunting and fishing. It’s 100 % free of charge.
Jamie Kiep is the executive director of the Miracle in the Woods Foundation. He tells WALB he started the foundation for two reasons.
“It’s something that I feel like God put on my heart to do,” said Kiep. “And having a son with special needs and disabilities, our heart is there for people with special needs and disabilities. And being an outdoorsman myself and having someone with special needs, we know the financial burden of that, and we want to make that light and non-existent for those that want to get in the outdoors, and we want to make it possible.”
One of Josh’s disabilities is that he has partial paralysis on his left side. Miracle in the Woods Foundation provided a handicap-accessible ground blind to make the hunt possible. Kiep tells WALB that without it, Josh wouldn’t be able to hunt.
“It’s something that we take for granted every day,” said Kiep. “That we can go out in the woods whenever we please, but most of these folks need assistance. And they just enjoy being there.”
And 100% of the proceeds from the ‘Rock for a Miracle’ concert will go directly to making these adventures in the outdoors possible. The event kicks off at 3 pm on Saturday, Nov. 11 from Chehaw Park in Albany.
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