Thank you Tampa Bay! We SOLD OUT all VIP tickets and thanks to the generosity of the Ulele family were able to accommodate a few extra and exceeded our fund raising goal of $10,000! It was a very hot day but with stellar performances performances from Kim Richey and Dean Tidey, the roof-rocking sound of Robby Steinhardt and the music of Kansas, The Lintrollers, No Standards and “The Voice” alum Tony Lucca is was a spectacular afternoon. Thank you to my co-host Brendan McLaughlin and to everyone at Ulele including Keith Sedita, Jeff Houck, Tim Shackton, Michael Kilgore and the always generous Richard Gonzmart it as a smashing success!
Losing someone you love to a disease that's not easy to understand only adds to the heartbreak. But thanks to our friends at the Columbia Restaurant Group and Ulele restaurant in Tampa we're going to raise awareness and money to help fight lupus. For Dean Tidey it was the loss of his loving wife April. Dean and I will both be at Ulele on Saturday, May 4th to be a part of this first annual event. It's tough to tell the story of a life lost too soon, but Dean was gracious enough to tell me April's story.
April Tidey, passed on December 24, 2016, at the age of 42. She died after a twenty year struggle with Lupus. She was a Speech-Language Pathologist for Pizzo Elementary School in Tampa, where with love and an incredible ability, she changed many children’s lives. She adored her family and friends and she had a spirit that touched the hearts of all that met her.
I wanted to get involved in raising awareness of Lupus, as I watched my wife bravely struggle with it for many years. In the end, it attacked her from all directions and the realization that the many doctors could do nothing to help, was terribly frustrating. I’m hoping that with continued research and funding there will be continued improvements in managing this terrible disease. This was something that I posted after she died. I think it captures what she meant to us. “On Christmas Eve, my beautiful wife April left us. She died after a twenty year struggle with Lupus. The last three years were particularly brutal, but she handled it with grace, dignity and enormous strength. She was the toughest person that I’ve ever met. April was the most gorgeous soul and anybody that met her knows that it was impossible not to love her. She was my everything and I’m so glad that I got to spend the best years of my life with her. April made me a better person in every way. We have an amazing son, he is kind, loving, smart, funny and strong - just like his mother. There is so much of her in him, so I know that she’ll always be with us. We love her so much. April was an incredible mother and I will try my very best to continue her guidance. I’m really not sure how we’re going to get by without her, but we’ll find a way, as that’s what she would have wanted. Elliot and I will be 'Team Tidey’. I so appreciate all the messages that we have received over the last few months, as April has been very sick. She was an incredibly private person and she really didn’t want anyone to know that she was unwell, or to feel sorry for her. She was an angel in life and I’m certain that she continues to be an angel after. We’re happy that she’s not suffering any more, but our hearts are forever broken. “
April Tidey - Rest in peace. 20/7/1974 - 24/12/2016 ❤️
As many of you know I also was diagnosed with Lupus years ago and know how an autoimmune disease like this impacts your life on a daily basis. I'm happy to talk with you about it, so please feel free to to see me at the concert. Join us all on the lawn in front of Ulele in downtown Tampa, and while they last, grab those VIP tickets. I'll be hosting along with Brendan McLaughlin on Saturday, May 4th from 2 pm - 6 pm. The concert is free but there are those VIP tickets you'll want to buy asap. Thank you Dean for sharing April's story.
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