Download - Suburban rockers help raise $1M for charity

10 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2013 | A PIONEER PRESS PUBLICATION DFR | LSR

Not For Profit, a fitting name for aNorth Shore band that plays toattract money for charity, has just

passed a major milestone.The band has made more than $1 million

that has gone to more than 25 local charita-ble organizations since its 11 members, mostfrom Lake County, got together in 2008.

“It started when I was invited to a partyat the home of John Lyons, who lived acrossthe street from me,” said Steve Schwartzof Deerfield, a corporate sales director. “Hepicked up an acoustic guitar and I picked uphis son’s bongos that were lying around —and that is literally how the band started.

“We are all professionals in other fields,we all love music and we’ve all been play-ing music for more than 25 years,” he add-ed. “We decided we wanted to give back tosociety and that the best way we could doit was through music, which we love.”

Most of the members had a backgroundof playing music in their earlier years andseveral had been in bands. And at that

time, sons of Lyons and Tim Thompson,another Deerfield resident, were formingtheir own band called Minor Chaos, sotheir fathers decided to do the same.

The band plays music from the ’70s, ’80sand ’90s, including some originals, as wellas rock ’n’ roll and the blues. The groupalso presents music made popular by TheJackson 5, Chicago, Bonnie Raitt, JohnnyCash and Kings of Leon.

Not for Profit, which has even developedits own group of followers, has performedat places such as Cubby Bear North andCubby Bear Chicago, the Art Institute ofChicago, Soldiers Field, Viper Alley, Gabe’sBackstreet Lounge and many other nearbylocations. The members have also playedbenefits as far away as New Jersey, Phila-delphia, New York and Milwaukee.

And when the band played Sept. 21 atthe VIBE in Highland Park, it was to raisemoney to memorialize the life of Eric Fein-berg, who had cerebral palsy and died at 21.

Eric’s parents, Beryl and Steven Fein-berg of Northbrook, established “The EricWilliam Feinberg Scholarship Fund” atKeshet (3210 Dundee Road, Northbrook,

IL 60062) with all the money they couldraise going to send kids with disabilities tosummer camp.

“We chose the band, because we knewhow good and how much fun they were,”Beryl said. “But they were phenomenal.They played great music, and they were allnice, warm and friendly. In fact, they were so

good, we would like to use them again.”Scott D. Lane, an uncle of Eric’s who

helped put on the fundraiser, also praisedNot For Profit.

“They donate their time and expertise,and do not earn a penny. Anyone can tellthat they really care,” he said. “And they aregreat.”

NOTFORPROFITBANDMEMBERS• Steve Schwartz, Deerfield, corporate sales director: drums and background vocals• John Lyons, now of Lake Forest, attorney: lead guitar and vocals• Angie Lyons, Lake Forest: lead singer and percussionist• Tim Thompson, Deerfield, finance professor: keyboards, guitarist, vocalist andmusic arranger;• Jim Fitch, Lake in the Hills, manufacturing general manager: lead guitar and vocals•MichaelWillens,Morton Grove, registered pharmacist: saxophone• Beth Bagg, Deerfield, saleswoman: vocals and percussion• Norman Friede, Bolingbrook, medical manufacturing: trombone• Robb Calabro, Barrington, microbiologist: saxophone• Rich Steiner, Deerfield, real estate: bass•Mark Zar, Highland Park, utility company project director: trumpet

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Not for Profit charity band reaches $1 million milestoneBY PAT [email protected] | @patkrochmal

Not For Profit, a bandmade up ofmembers fromthroughout Lake andCookCountieswho playcharity events, hit the $1millionmark this yearformoney raised at various fundraisers sincethe band’s inception in 2008. | Courtesy of NotFor Profit