Thanks to everyone who participated in Jingle All Our Ways. We had a good time. Photos of the event are below.
Join the Eddie Ray Band, a musical group organized for the inclusion of musicians with disabilities, and the Dripping Springs Friendship Club in welcoming a full day of talent, food, fun, and so much more at Jingle All Our Ways 2023.
Help us raise funds for the Eddie Ray Band and the Dripping Springs Friendship Club to continue supporting the disability community in Dripping Springs. All funds raised will directly support the band, the club, and their members. Funds will be split 50/50 between the two.
The concert is on Sunday December 17th at Hudson’s on Mercer (381 West Mercer Street, Dripping Springs, Texas 78620) beginning at 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm with local musicians playing along with members of the band. Hear some of the amazing songs the band has written and ready to record.
Get Tickets
This event has ended.
Sponsorships and donations are welcome (see below). If you can’t attend check out the live stream.
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Jingle All Our Ways 2023
MC Rush Evans (KOOP Radio) to host:
THE LOCKHEARTS • WOOT AND JASON TALLEY
LISSA HATTERSLEY • CHRIS DONAHUE • BOBBY MACK BAND
TONY AIROLDI & CHRIS DIGBY • CHAD & NATASHA HUDSON
GONZO & THE MERRY BAND OF VIKINGS • VAN WILKS
THE EDDIE RAY BAND
WITH SURPRISE SPECIAL PERFORMANCES!
Thank you to our sponsors
Photos
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Even More Photos
Yet More Photos
Live Stream
Pre-Game
Thanks to our friends at Route 12 Filling Station, who will donate a percentage of their sales on the day before the concert (Saturday, Dec. 16) to our fundraising campaign. This will be our all day pre-game party, so come on out on Dec. 16th. Members of Eddie Ray Band, Dripping Springs Friendship Club, and Stimpunks will be joining. The band will play from 11:30 – 1:30PM.
Support the local businesses that support their community.
Thanks to everyone who joined us at the pre-game. It was fun.
Donate
Whether you can attend the concert or not, you can help by joining our peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Donate now.
Stimpunks Foundation will be collecting funds for this campaign. Stimpunks is a 501(c)3 organization, and your donation is tax deductible. You will be emailed an IRS compliant letter at the time of donation and a year-end-summary of your donations at the end of the year. Keep these letters for filing your taxes.
We honor “The Donor Bill of Rights“.
About Eddie Ray Band
The Eddie Ray Band is a band from Dripping Springs Texas. This is a unique band that began with love, friendship and the love of music. Music is truly a magical healer and each unique member has blossomed playing music and writing songs. The majority of the band have disabilities and big hearts. Under the direction of their band leader Phil Montfort they have written many songs of the heart through their love of music. The band has local musicians volunteer their time each week to help this special band make music together. I think the musicians benefit more than each week through the positive energy the group provides. It is infectious. Come support these young musicians live their dreams to record a professional album, buy some more equipment and support the local musicians providing hours of support.
Love Is Everything
Got a few minutes? “Love Is Everything (revisited)”, featuring nonspeaking singers, brings the feels and invites singing along, together.
Love Is Everything (revisited) Lyrics
Yeah, Uh, Eddie Ray Band Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Love is hugs, caring and sharing Love makes me feel happy Love takes a cloudy day And makes it a sunny day Love is everything It’s the sun in the sky And the birds in the trees Mama and I And the ground beneath my feet Love is everything Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Love is everything Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Love is everything Well I can tell you this Love is much more than Just a kiss it’s more to me Love takes a heavy heart And makes it light again Love is everything It’s the sun in the sky And the birds in the trees Mama and I And the ground beneath my feet Love is everything Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Love is everything Ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo Love is everything
Check out the rest of the band’s current catalog on their ReverbNation page.
About Dripping Springs Friendship Club
This is a social club that connects young adults with disabilities (18 to 55) within the Dripping Springs community to community events, social gatherings and development of friendships.
About “Jingle All Our Ways”
At Stimpunks, our primary avenue for Learning Center development is through the Dripping Springs Friendship Club gatherings on Fridays. This is a group of disabled young adults including folks with autism, cerebral palsy and other types of inherent and acquired disabilities that gathers regularly for social and learning opportunities and development of friendships. The group can be anywhere from 5 to 20 young adults depending on activities for the day.
Many of these adults participate in the Eddie Ray Band.
The Eddie Ray Band started simply enough. Six years ago, a young, disabled man named Brandon needed a caregiver. Brandon’s mother searched for the right person, preferably someone that was into music as much as Brandon was, and luckily, she found Phil. Phil knew immediately upon taking the job that music would be a big part of the relationship. He just didn’t know how big.
Brandon loved the Beatles and wanted his own band. Being nonspeaking, he also wanted to learn to speak so that he could belt out his favorite Beatles’ tunes. Phil and Brandon spent time working on all things Beatles as well as other classic rock. About that time, Nathan joined the duo as Brandon’s new housemate and darn good drummer. Then Nathan brought his friend, Ben, who brought his bongos, harmonica and percussion skills. The band continued to grow by word of mouth due to a tightly knit group of parents and young men with disabilities in the Dripping Springs area. Thursday morning rehearsals can have as many as 20 musicians sitting in to sing, play, and create music. Brandon lives for Thursdays and sings at the top of his lungs. Phil gently leads the group playing guitar. He encourages them to take the lead on their songs and play as a team with the others in the band.
Being a cover band was not exactly what the group had in mind. Ben wanted to write a song, so “Eddie from Waco” was hatched and soon 19 more original tunes were written. When Ben was asked what the band meant to him, he put his hand on his heart, and said, “my heart.” The music and pure joy come from these delightful musicians’ hearts, and the socialization within the group has forged a literal band of brothers that love what they are doing. In Phil’s words, “This group is so rewarding and fun that it eclipses any challenges that come along.”
The Eddie Ray Band have performed at numerous events throughout Dripping Springs including Founders Festival, Xmas on Mercer, Red Arena and Stubbs BBQ at Buddies and special olympic statewide events. The group will be performing at SXSW 2024 to bring awareness to music and its impact on disabled people.
Their goal for funding is to record 12 songs they have written in a professional studio. They would also like to pay for volunteer musicians and Phil’s time when performing in public.
Goals
Eddie Ray Band: $10K
- Raise money for the Eddie Ray Band to hire Phil as a permanent band manager and pay volunteer musicians.
- Raise money to produce an album of their records. Recording sessions are starting in January.
- Get needed equipment.
Friendship Club: $10K
- Raise funds to pay for their Friday programming and increase the range of activities they can do.
- Sell their arts and crafts.
Stimpunks Foundation
- Hold donor restricted funds for the Friendship Club and Eddie Ray Band. These funds would be approximately 20%-60% of our fundraising target for 2023.
- Promote our vision of Cavendish Space and caves, campfires and watering holes for events.
- Iterate our event accessibility checklists.
- Explore opportunities for using Hudson’s on Mercer as a facility for Friday Learning Center activities.
- Establish our presence as resources for disabled and neurodivergent members of the greater Dripping Springs community.
- Put out the welcome mat. The reality is that marginalized people experience discrimination in public spaces.
The Numbers
For details on how the money raised will be spent, consult these two tables.
Eddie Ray Band Expenses 2024
| Eddie Ray Band Expenses 2024 | ||||
| Band Leader | Every Thursday for 2 hours working with 9 individuals with disabilities & 4 volunteer musicians | 48 (Thursday) | $75 per session | $3,600 |
| Volunteer Musicians | Every gig (1 gig a month) | 4 musicians | $75 each | $3,600 |
| Recording time | 8 days of recording | $300 per day | $2,400 | |
| Instruments | Mics and percussion | $400 | $400 | |
| $10,000 | ||||
Dripping Springs Friendship Club Expenses 2024
| Funding for Dripping Springs Friendship Club 2024 | |||||
| Events | Regular Events each Friday To include: Art, dancing, music, Cooking classes, dancing lessons, exercise programs, education session, special community events | 10 to 12 participants | $250.00 per event, $1000 per month | $12,000 | |
Silent Auction
There will be a silent auction running from right now until the end of the concert. We’ve got Christmas ornaments made by the Friendship Club, Christmas photos with miniature donkeys, BnB stays, and more. Visit our auction page on Betterworld and start bidding now.
Got an item to donate to the auction? Contact: lrummel57@gmail.com, Leah Rummel 12100 Trautwein Rd Austin TX 78737
Bingo
During the event, we will be showing off a bingo game called “Our Town” hand drawn by Friendship Club member Roger Hausler featuring the logos of our sponsors and local Dripping Springs businesses. The game will be printed and distributed in early 2024 and shipped first to those who sign up for notifications during the concert. We’ll have physical and online sign up sheets. We’ll email you next year when the game is available to order.
Run of Show
MC for the evening: Rush Evans
| 2:00 – 2:30 | Kate and Paige: The Lockhearts |
| 2:45 – 3:15 | Lissa Hattersley, Tony Airoldi & Chris Diggs |
| 3:30 – 4:00 | Woot Talley and Jason Talley |
| 4:15 – 4:45 | Chad and Natasha |
| 5:00 – 5:50 | The Eddie Ray Band |
| 6:00 – 6:30 | Van Wilks |
| 6:35 – 7:00 | Chris Donahue |
| 7:00 – 7:20 | Gonzo and the Very Merry Vikings |
| 7:25 – 7:50 | Bobby Mack |
| 7:50 – 8:00 | Everyone joins to sing “Family Circle” and “Love is Everything” |
Be prepared to sing “Love Is Everything” together as a community chorus. Here’s the song again so you can start practicing.
Food/Drink
Hudson’s offers a full bar and a small menu of bar favorites. Hudson’s is donating their space and time for the concert, so imbibe mightily and tip generously. They’re making their money for this event on food and drink sales.
Hudson’s Menu
BURGER & FRIES $11.00
1/3 LB ANGUS BEEF BURGER ON A GOURMET BUTTERED BUN SERVED WITH FRIES AND A PICKLE SPEAR
LETTUCE, TOMATO, ONION AND PICKLE
(ADD CHEDDAR CHEESE FOR 1.00)MIXED GREENS SALAD W/ GRILLED CHICKEN $10.00
MIXED GREENS, TOMATO, ONION, BACON BITS AND CROUTONS TOPPED WITH GRILLED CHICKEN
DRESSINGS: RANCH, BALSAMIC AND ITALIANHOT DOG $7.00
ALL BEEF HOT DOG ON A BUN SERVED WITH CHIPS AND A PICKLE SPEARSAUSAGE WRAP $8.00
ALL BEEF SAUSAGE ON A TORTILLA SERVED WITH CHIPS AND A PICKLE SPEARFRENCH FRIES $5.00
QUESO AND CHIPS $7.00
GRILLED CHEESE AND CHIPS $7.00
At the Door, Checking In
At the door, we’ll check your name against our lists and give you one of these wrist bands:
- Sponsors – Yellow
- Musicians – Red
- General Admission – Orange
- Staff, Eddie Ray Band, DS Friendship Clubbers – Green
- Volunteers – Blue
If you sponsored a table, we will direct you to your reserved table.
Sponsors, your wrist band will serve as your meal voucher.
If you don’t have a ticket, buy one at any time online. We also accept $50 cash at the door. We hope to have a point of sale device running at the event for those who can’t go online to pay, but we might not get it set up in time.
Interaction Badges
At the check in, we will have interaction badges.
Interaction badges were first developed in Autistic spaces and conferences. They help people tell everyone who can see their badge about their communication preferences.
The card that is currently visible is the active card. The other two are hidden behind the first one, accessible to the person if they should need them.
The default is green if no card is displayed.
If you see someone wearing a yellow or red card, please respect their wishes. If you are wearing a red or yellow card and someone is harassing you by not respecting your preference, find the nearest staff member.
Come Talk To Me
A person wearing a green badge is actively seeking interaction. They may have trouble initiating conversations, but it’s okay to come up and start a conversation with them.
A white circle on a green background with the word “GREEN” beneath.
Do I Know You?
A person wearing a yellow badge only wants to talk to people they recognize. Unless you’ve met this person face-to-face before, please don’t start a conversation with them. If they start talking to you, you’re welcome to talk back with them.
A white triangle on a yellow background with the word “YELLOW” beneath.
Not Right Now
A person wearing a red badge does not want anyone to talk to them. They may approach others to talk, in which case it’s okay to respond. Unless you have been told otherwise, please don’t start interacting with them.
A white square on a red background with the word “RED” beneath.
Learn more about interaction badges.
Accessibility
The venue poses some acessibility challenges.
- The thresholds on the front door and the bathroom doors are tall enough to impede wheelchairs. We will bring threshold ramps.
- We will bring two accessible portable toilets.
- The concrete ramp to the front door is too steep. Manual wheelchair users will need assistance getting up the ramp. We will have assistants nearby at the front door.
- The bar top is above wheelchair height. This is where you order food and drink. Staff will come to your level and assist bringing food to your table.
For details on accessiblity and logistics, consult the venue access page.
General Do’s & Don’ts for Interacting with Disabled People
Accessibility Services — Midwest FurFest
- Do yield to people with mobility aids (e.g. wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes).
- Do not touch, lean on or push anyone’s mobility equipment.
- Do not bend down to talk to someone in a wheelchair. If you find it difficult to maintain the conversation, pull up a chair.
- Do ask before you try to assist someone. What you assume is helpful may not be.
- Do speak directly to a disabled person (not the ASL interpreter, personal care assistant, etc.).
- Do not pet, feed, or otherwise distract a service dog. Please approach their handler before interacting.
Learn more about how our community respectfully connects on our Covenant and Mosh Covenant pages.
Become a Sponsor
We have 3 tiers of sponsorship for both physical and virtual sponsorships. If you’ll be attending the event, consider the physical tiers. If you can’t attend the event, consider virtual tiers.
Physical Tiers
Silver: $375
- Company logo distribution throughout event
- Four (4) event tickets with reserved table 4pm-8pm
- Four (4) food vouchers
Gold: $750
- Company logo distribution throughout event
- Six (6) event tickets with reserved table 4pm-8pm
- Six (6) food vouchers
- “Swag Bag” with event merch
Platinum: $1500
- Company logo distribution throughout event
- Eight (8) event tickets with reserved table 4pm-8pm
- Eight (8) food vouchers
- “Swag Bag” with event merch
- Handmade ornament
- Reserved parking space
- Signed memorabilia poster
- Special business “shoutout” by event host Rush Evans of KOOP Radio
- Exclusive hand drawn inclusion in DS Friendship Club bingo game!
Virtual Tiers
Silver: $375
- Company logo distribution throughout event
- “Swag Bag” with event merch
- Handmade ornament
- Signed lyrics sheet for “Love Is Everything”
Gold: $750
- Company logo distribution throughout event
- “Swag Bag” with event merch
- Handmade ornament
- Signed lyrics sheet for “Love Is Everything”
- Signed memorabilia poster
Platinum: $1500
- Company logo distribution throughout event
- “Swag Bag” with event merch
- Handmade ornament
- Signed lyrics sheet for “Love Is Everything”
- Signed memorabilia poster
- Special business “shoutout” by event host Rush Evans of KOOP Radio
- Exclusive hand drawn inclusion in DS Friendship Club bingo game!
Contact Jacob Madrid to become a sponsor. jacob@stimpunks.org
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