Our Top Ten of 2013

This time of year, everyone's putting out their top ten lists. Top songs, Top Albums, there's even a Top Good/Bad "Selfies" list! We're not trying to jump on the bandwagon, but we've had a pretty amazing year. That's adding one more awesome year to more than a decade's worth, thanks to our combination of incredible volunteers, sponsors, nonprofit partners and music in our community.Here's our Top Hits from 2013:#1 - Raising 862kNot only did we raise a staggering amount of money with our 2013 partner Tammy Lynn Center, but we had a great time along the way. An amazing concert full of music fans and Band Together friends, great food and drinks in VIP, and an electric atmosphere. Thanks to our generous sponsors make this huge night a reality!#2 - Our Partnership with TLCWe couldn't have asked for a better partner and a more deserving nonprofit that Tammy Lynn Center. Their devoted staff, committed volunteers and the amazing children, adults and families they serve made this year's "work" seem more like fun.#3 - The Amazing Lyle Lovett headlining the 2013 ConcertEvery year we "raise the bar" on the musical acts we bring to our fans. This year we brought a four-time Grammy winner with a loyal base of long-time followers, and the country singer-songwriter didn't disappoint!#4 - Delta Rae tearing it up at the showDelta Rae treated lots of Band Together fans to a taste of their music back in 2012, at our first Cahoot. They continue to climb the charts and are regulars on VH-1 and at SXSW. Their energy and passion for music comes through in every performance, and we were able to bring them back for our Main Event.#5 - Volunteers going beyond the call of duty – Days of Service, turnout for socials and helping at main eventWe can't do it without our volunteers. They make the Main Event hum every year, 100's of folks who give up their weekend to come and give back a little, and have a lot of fun. But, we also depend on the helping hands of volunteers year round, to run our events, communications, fundraising, attend our socials and more.#6 - The growth/impact of Silent AuctionWe hear from a lot of our VIP attendees that they love the Silent Auction at our Main Event, but it's not just a perk for the VIPs...it's raises SERIOUS money for Band Together and our partners. Ever year we add more items, need more space, and raise thousands more $$ to help do some good. We have to give a shout out to all the generous individuals and businesses who donate items, trips, experiences and services!#7 - Choosing StepUp Ministry for 2015Choosing the right partner each year is one of the toughest and most rewarding jobs we have. We've worked with StepUp Ministry before, and we couldn't be more excited about our future partnership. We know that together, we can raise a lot of money to make a big difference in our community.#8 - Social media growthFacebook and Twitter aren't just fun sites for nonprofits like Band Together - they're serious marketing tools that we depend on. To grow our base and increase public awareness, we have to attract more people and keep them engaged. In 2013 we topped 2,500 followers on Facebook and leading up to the Main Event, thousands of people were seeing each of our posts on Facebook. On April 23, one post was seen by more than 7,200 people#9 - Great local music at our 2013 LBSA vision just a few years ago by our former event chair and longtime volunteer, Jim Graves, Last Band Standing has grown into one of the most exciting "Battle of the Bands" in our area, and surely one of the few that gives back so much. This year we had Big Fat Gap, The Deluge, The Beast and the 2013 winner, Mac and Juice Quartet!#10 - Celebrity Bartending at ZindaThis one's new, although Zinda certainly isn't. Zinda, part of Eschelon Experiences, hosted Band Together in November for Celebrity Bartending. We had radio personality Kitty Kinnin, Raleigh Councilman Bonner Gaylor, Blake Christiana from Yarn, John Teer from Chatham County Line and Doug MacMillan from the Connells. Zinda gave us a portion of the bar receipts, and both they and Eschelon continue to shower Band Together with support!