WV Ukulele Club annual concert to benefit Cure Mito Foundation

The Warwick Valley Ukulele Club presents its 5th Annual Ukulele Club Benefit Concert on Friday, March 20 at 6:00 pm. This year, the group is raising funds for the Cure Mito Foundation, and specifically for Team Lila!  

The Warwick Valley Ukulele Club has a history of advocacy for medical research and giving back to its community. This year, the Ukulele Club has set its sights on helping raise awareness and funds for the identification of therapeutic treatments and a potential cure for ECHS1. They've titled their show Strumming For A Cure: Ukulele Benefit Concert 2026. 

"Support goes a long way to those in need, and the main goal of the Ukulele Club year to year is to show the power of community," said Ukulele Club and WVMS choral director Shane Peters. "Music brings us together and this concert not only shows that, but also demonstrates how we are always stronger together. Lila sadly passed away last summer, and we hope to honor her legacy by raising money in her memory."  

This year's cause holds a very special place in the hearts and minds of the Warwick Valley school community. Lila was a loving 11-year-old Warwick Valley student who passed away in 2025 due to complications from ECHS1 Deficiency/Leigh syndrome. Her amazing brother, Jack, who always supported and encouraged her, is currently a student at Warwick Valley High School. Donations collected before, during, and after the Ukulele Club's performance will all be directed to the Cure Mito Foundation  

Members of the community can donate to the cause using this link to the TEAM LILA DONATION PAGE. Donations can also be made in person during the event, where there will be more fundraising opportunities! 

ABOUT TEAM LILA

Lila enjoyed life and had an infectious smile. She was a lover of art and music, and one of her proudest moments was performing in the Sanfordville Elementary School concert as a singer and pianist. She changed the worldview of nearly everyone she met, and to know Lila was to love her. She led with perseverance, and never let her diagnosis define her or get in the way of living her life to the fullest...and she inspired us all as she continued to do it with a smile. She will be forever imprinted on the many lives and hearts she filled with her love.

Team Lila was formed to take action and raise funds to help find a cure after receiving Lila's diagnosis. Today, it continues in her honor and legacy, and it has grown to include the amazing number of lives she touched and people she attracted with her magnetism during her short time with us.

ECHS1 Deficiency/Leigh syndrome is a rare mitochondrial, metabolic, neurodegenerative and debilitating disease that strips children of their abilities as it affects the body's energy production mechanisms. Often, those who could walk, talk, and eat independently lose these skills shortly after receiving a diagnosis and have a reduced life expectancy. Most do not survive beyond childhood.

Join Team Lila today and help provide hope to the families and children affected by this devastating and life-limiting disease.

OUR DONORS

On behalf of the WV Ukulele Club and the Cure Mito Foundation, THANK YOU to our generous donors!

• THE CANDY APPLE SHOPPE
• SONNY NAIL SALON
• CHESTER CINEMAS
• LANDMARK INN
• PIN STREET BOWLING
• GALLOWAY GRILL
• DREAM DONUTS
• URBAN AIR OF MIDDLETOWN
• TOP GOLF
• 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
• 1-CLUB GOLF
• WARWICK DAY CARE CENTER
• TRACY ALLEN
• ALTO MUSIC
• TACO HOMBRE
• EMMERICH TREE FARM
• TRACK 7
• VILLAGE OF GREENWOOD LAKE
• WVMS PTA
• SALTARA HEALING
• 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