Annual Ukulele Club benefit raises more than $20K for charity
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The Warwick Valley Ukulele Club has done it again — and in a bigger way than ever before. This year's 5th Annual Ukulele Club Benefit Concert, held on March 20, raised an extraordinary $21,750 for the Cure Mito Foundation, specifically for Team Lila!
Both club membership and its charity totals keep going up year after year. What started as a small after-school group of ukulele enthusiasts has grown into a district-wide phenomenon. Club advisor and middle school music teacher Shane Peters opened the club to high school students this year by popular request; the fundraising numbers have followed right along.
The milestone total is a testament to the power of music, community, and the enduring spirit of a young girl who left an unforgettable mark on Warwick Valley. Lila, an 11-year-old Warwick Valley student, passed away in 2025 due to complications from ECHS1 Deficiency/Leigh syndrome, a rare and devastating mitochondrial disease. This year's concert was dedicated to keeping her legacy alive, with all proceeds directed to Team Lila — a campaign formed in coordination with the Cure Mito Foundation to support innovative research and treatments for the disease.
The concert also reflects the district's Portrait of a Graduate traits of being a creator, collaborator, communicator, and for embracing a community mindset. Through music and performance, students connected with an audience of neighbors, families, and friends, using their talents to educate and empower. As Mr. Peters noted, "The goal of these concerts is to bring our Warwick community together for causes that directly tie to our community!"
The Ukulele Club's benefit concert has become a beloved Warwick Valley tradition; one that not only entertains the community, but benefits it as well.
Mr. Peters and the Ukulele Club send a big THANK YOU to the following for their support!
- SONNY NAIL SALON
- CHESTER CINEMAS
- LANDMARK INN
- PIN STREET BOWLING
- GALLOWAY GRILL
- DREAM DONUTS
- URBAN AIR OF MIDDLETOWN
- SALTARA HEALING
- SCENIC FARMS GOLF COURSE
- SKYLAND ICE RINK
- BIG EDDY BREWING CO.
- FORESTBURGH PLAYHOUSE
- WARWICK CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
- OPA! GREEK GRILL
- NEWHARD'S
- MURPHY'S GWL
- BIG BEAR BURGERS
- SHARP ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
- CRYSTAL SPRINGS
- EDENVILLE GENERAL STORE
- WARWICK VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
- DROWNED LANDS BREWERY
- NICOLE'S HOUSE OF BEAUTY
- CHRISTINE MERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
- LEGOLAND
- TRAILSIDE TREATS
- CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE
- HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES
- THE SUSSEX MINERS
- FOUR BROTHERS PIZZERIA
- NY REDBULLS
- NY JETS
- GREAT GORGE GOLF CLUB
- TREESCAPE
- 1CLUB GOLF
- ALTO MUSIC
- TACO HOMBRE
- EMMERICH TREE FARM
- TRACK 7
- VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD LAKE
- WVMS PTA
- PECK'S
- WARWICK DAY CARE CENTER
- THE ORTHMANN FAMILY
- THE SUZOR FAMILY
- THE PINEDA-PINZON FAMILY
- THE FITZPATRICK FAMILY
- THE CULLEN FAMILY
- THE PALTROWITZ FAMILY
- THE PULIDO FAMILY
- THE LOBOSCO FAMILY
- THE PACKER FAMILY
- THE MCCOSKER FAMILY
- TRACY ALLEN