THUNDER 102 PRESENTS COOPER BOONE

Thunder 102 Presents Cooper Boone
& Amber Hayes at Bethel Woods

A Concert for Derk VanWolde benefiting St. Baldrick's Organization and Community and Educational Programs at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts


Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is proud to announce its collaboration with Bold Gold Media's Thunder 102 to present Cooper Boone and Amber Hayes, a benefit concert to remember Derk VanWolde on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. The event goes on-sale Friday, May 20th at 10 a..m.

Tickets for the event are $12.00 per person, general admission, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit St. Baldrick's Organization, as well as Community and Educational Programs at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

Derk VanWolde, a staple in the White Lake area, was one of the first Thunderheads with his wife Debbie. Over the years, he and his wife were actively involved with Bold Gold Media and all of their community events. He was also an integral part of the White Lake Fire Department, having served as a part Chief and was the Commissioner of the White Lake Fire District. On March 22, 2010, Derk was diagnosed with terminal cancer and after only 8 months of chemo and radiation he passed on November 28, 2010.

"What we had in the 11 years we were together is something that most people don't find in a lifetime," said Debbie VanWolde. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't still cry for him, and I couldn't think of a better way to honor his memory than throwing this concert with our friend, Cooper, for an organization dedicated to helping children with cancer. After Derk went through chemo, he couldn't imagine children having to endure the same process he did, so helping them raise money for better treatment options is something that we can all feel good about."

In a short time, singer-songwriter, performer, chef, online video star and clinical psychologist has earned some solid accolades. He is a multiple nominee and winner for Best Country Artist at the Hollywood Music Awards, along with an Independent Music Award (IMA) and an Independent Singer-Songwriter (ISSA) award. Cooper has shared the stage with Craig Morgan, Trace Adkins, Angela Kaset ("Something in Red"), Anthony Krizan (Spin Doctors) and Bucky Covington. His online show, Cooper's Kitchen, has been a huge hit, allowing him to spend time with celebrity entertainers like Paula Deen, Tyler Florence, The Neely's, Julie Roberts and Trisha Yearwood to name a few. Most recently, Coop was selected among 15,000 applicants as a final four finalist for ABC's Good Morning America's "Advice Guru Search" which has created a lot of buzz for him in 2011. He is currently writing a new album, to be released in 2012. Yes indeed, Coop is "the man of many hats!"
Named one of "America's Ten Most Beautiful Children" by Globe Magazine and a finalist for Disney's "The Mickey Mouse Club", Amber Hayes has always been a standout talent. Growing up in a close-knit family in Weleetka, Oklahoma, with its 1,200 residents and zero stoplight, made it nearly impossible to leave her family at an early age to go to Orlando and become a child star.

Keeping true to herself and her dreams, Amber was influenced early on by Country music, gravitating towards the show-stopping divas that would quickly become her role models growing up: Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.

Infused with a down-home Country sound accented with fiddle and steel guitar, C'mon was the outlet that allowed Amber to get personal in a way that musical theater never did. Her energy shines through in the album's debut single, the innocently flirtatious, "C'mon," while "Can't Take It Back" reveals her more sensitive side. The true-to-life narrative "Right as Rain" invokes the tiny town where she was raised, and her difficulty in leaving it. The album's second single is the powerful and yearning "Wait.".

For more information about Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, 1.866.781.2922.