AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)– The 13th annual “Music for Memories” concert , featuring Kane Brown is coming up Tuesday, March 28th at the James Brown Arena. All proceeds benefit Alzheimer’s patients and Via Cognitive Health.

Here to tell us more about it are Development Director, Chaz Saltzman and Via Cognitive Health Board Member, Cammie Jones.

Via Cognivite Health was formerly the Jud C. Hickey Center. Saltzman explains they’re still the same local nonprofit they’ve always been.

“We offer services to adults with adult, well adult cognitive decline. So Alzheimer’s and dementia. So again, we’ve been the same, but we started looking about six years ago into expanding what was the Jud C. Hickey Center to larger programs, to possibly building a building, which we are doing now. We did a lot of community surveys. We did a lot of needs assessments. We looked at the whole country at other programs doing the same thing that we were doing and see how they implemented larger programs. And again, with the expansion of our programs into a lot more cognitive health, not just the day program and community support and education. And with our new building on Washington Road our board voted to just rebrand ourselves from Jud C. Hickey to now Via Cognitive Health.”

Jones says the board is really excited about Music for Memories because it’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.

“Yes. It is a huge fundraiser for us. And this is our 13th annual, like you said. And this is gonna be our biggest one yet, ’cause we are at the James Brown Arena. And Kane Brown is a big deal and so is Mitchell Tenpenny. So this is a really great show for a great cause and James Brown Arena has been great to work with and we want everyone to come and enjoy this show and support “Music for Memories” ’cause all of this supports Via Cognitive Health.

It’s also very personal for her.

“I have family members who have dementia and Alzheimer’s and so it’s close to my heart. And so I just, this board is a very active board. I think almost everybody who is on this board has been touched by this. And so we all just kind of work together and are really gung ho about putting on a great show. And we’ve got over 120 local sponsors who are gonna help us make some money for Via. You can buy your tickets online and you can also get your tickets at the JBA. And again, all proceeds do benefit the local services that Via Cognitive Health offers.”

Saltzman says one of the most interesting things about working at the center, sitting in her office, is hearing what happens when music starts.

“It’s so awesome to watch our members who are early and middle stage, but still music just lights them up. Behind my desk, I share a wall with one of our programmatic rooms and it’s so funny to listen, just we play music all day, but some certain songs, just how loud it is and it’s like “I have to get up and go hang out,” because it’s hard not to be drawn to that. And to watch the joy on their face.

“It’s a devastating disease. But to see the little joys and to see their face light up and they’re you know, start tapping their feet and clapping their hands and you just see who they truly are in the midst of all of that. It’s amazing. It’s a good day when that happens.”

Once again, the 13th annual “Music for Memories” concert is coming up March 28th at the James Brown Arena. Kane Brown is the headliner. Mitchell Tenpenny is also performing. Tickets can be purchased at the James Brown Arena or here. All proceeds benefit Via Cognitive Health.