The Honeytones will take the stage Tuesday, Aug. 18, at Rockford’s Garden Club Park for an evening of music with an international mission: raising money for families who have lost their homes and belongings in disasters.
The Grand Rapids-area band will headline the 2026 Rotary Rocks for ShelterBox, an annual fundraiser organized by the Rockford Rotary Club to support ShelterBox, a disaster relief organization providing emergency shelter and essential supplies to people displaced by crises around the world. ShelterBox is currently responding in Venezuela, where two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude, struck northern Venezuela just seconds apart on June 24, killing more than 6,300 people, injuring 16,700 and leaving about 24,000 homeless. The quakes caused an estimated $37 billion in damage to homes and infrastructure.
The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Riverfront Stage in Garden Club Park, where the riverside setting will provide a backdrop for an evening built around music, community and philanthropy.
The Honeytones have been a fixture of the West Michigan music scene for four decades. Keyboardist John Sinkevics and guitarist Charley Honey founded the band 40 years ago, establishing a sound that draws from classic rock, folk and blues and incorporates both original material and covers. Sinkevics is also the journalist behind Local Spins, a website covering the Grand Rapids-area music scene.
For the Rockford Rotary, the event offers a way to connect a distinctly local tradition — live music — with a global humanitarian need. Concert co-founder and Rockford Rotarian Derek Reed said the group selected ShelterBox because of its ability to provide assistance wherever disasters strike.
ShelterBox supplies can include sturdy tents, water filters, solar lights, household essentials and tools designed to help displaced families begin rebuilding their lives.
The organization says it has assisted more than 3 million people worldwide since its founding. ShelterBox is also rated 100% by Charity Navigator and has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in disaster zones.
For one summer night in Rockford, the goal is simple: let the music play and turn an evening of community gathering into tangible support for people facing the aftermath of disaster.
Rotary Rocks for ShelterBox
When: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Riverfront Stage, Garden Club Park, Rockford
Beneficiary: ShelterBox USA
Learn more at https://shelterboxusa.org/.
