by Alan K. StoutMusic Columnist
Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “just one person can make a difference.” Sometimes, it feels like a cliche. And sometimes, it’s absolutely true.
Karen Greenberg Revit has made a difference. And a big one. For the past 10 years, her life, her death and her ongoing spirit have been the inspiration behind “Concert For A Cause,” which will again take place on April 22. And as we again get ready to crank up the amplifiers and raise some money from charity, I can’t help but be reflective on how a benefit show that first took place on April 22, 1999 — exactly 10 years ago — has now become a spring tradition here in NEPA and has raised thousands upon thousands of dollars.
I first met Karen in 1993. Her sister, Lyn Carey, was the co-owner of Jitterbugs nightclub in Edwardsville and was also the publisher of a local music magazine called Sound Check. I was a writer at the magazine and Karen was a page designer. We always had a good time working together and everybody enjoyed being around her. She was kind, upbeat, funny and talented, and I was proud of the work we did at Sound Check. Karen also did some bartending at the club, so it seemed everybody knew her and loved her.
Five years after I first met Karen, in the summer of 1998, I was sitting in the Times Leader newsroom one day and got a call from Lyn that I can still remember all too well. Karen, she said, had leukemia. To make matters worse, she was also pregnant. A young would-be mom — excited about the arrival of her first child — was suddenly in a fight for her life as well as the life of her unborn son.
Karen initially held off on some of the early treatments that might have helped her because they may have jeopardized the health of the baby. Her plan was to carry the child long enough to deliver him safely and then begin treatment to try to save her own life. But Karen lost the baby, and after a courageous battle, she lost her own life on Dec. 27, 1998.
I’d sent Karen a few notes and cards while she was in the hospital in Philadelphia, and once, purely by chance, I bumped into her as she was out for a walk with her parents. It was the last time I ever saw her, and I am still grateful for that encounter. In the following years, I maintained my friendship with Lyn, as well as Karen’s parents, Barry and Irma Fischer, and I find it heartbreaking how much a family can change in just 10 years. Back in the ’90s, whenever I’d see Karen with Barry and Irma, you could actually feel the love between them. There was so much affection. Today, all three are gone. Barry passed away unexpectedly in 2003 and Irma — who had given us her blessing to again do this year’s 10th anniversary show in memory of her daughter — died just five months ago. If anything, I’ve learned that life can change on a dime and to cherish time with family.
The first “Concert For Karen” was founded on emotion, as many of us involved with local music simply wanted to do something to honor her memory. It was a huge success, right from the beginning. There were long lines out the door of Jitterbugs, now called Nightcaps, and after two years at The Voodoo Lounge, the show became so big we had to move it to the Grand Ballroom of The Woodlands. Her spirit stayed with us, every step of the way.
In 2003, after four “Concert For Karen” shows raised nearly $70,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the show’s name was changed to “Concert For A Cause.” This was done after much discussion with Karen’s family, who appreciated the show and always supported it and attended it yet obviously also felt a lot of pain with its arrival each year. “Concert For A Cause” allowed us to continue the good work that had begun as “Concert For Karen” yet spared them that annual open wound, and since its debut, it has helped local United Way agencies such as V.I.S.I.O.N., Children’s Service Center, Luzerne County Head Start, Child Development Council, Wyoming Valley Children’s Association and United Way autism programs. In total, more than $161,500 has been raised.
When I got the phone call from Lyn that Karen had passed away, I was with a few close friends, all of whom would go on to work at the Weekender. We were at my old apartment in Kingston, exchanging Christmas gifts. It seems like it was just yesterday, but a decade has passed, and if there is anything good that’s come from this tragedy, it is “Concert For Karen/Concert For a Cause.” Next Wednesday, on its 10th anniversary, Mayor Tom Lehighton will officially proclaim “Concert For A Cause Day” in the city of Wilkes-Barre. It’s his way of recognizing the many people — mostly young people — that have made the event one of NEPA’s most successful annual fundraisers. And again, I know Karen will be there in spirit.
Can one person make a difference? Can someone’s death, and life, really change things and have a real impact on a community? Oh yes, it most certainly can.
See you Wednesday night at The Woodlands.
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