Hundreds of tickets remain available for the Oct. 12 Neal McCoy concert at the Miller Performing Arts Center in Jefferson City.
It's a chance to put on some (virtual) beer goggles, enjoy great country music and raise money for the Special Learning Center.
The concert is part of the annual fundraising effort sponsored by Tom Henke and coincides with the Tom Henke Charity Golf Classic on Oct. 14.
"This is our 25th year," Henke said. "We've raised close to $1.3 million or $1.4 million for the Special Learning Center. We also donate part of the proceeds to diabetes research."
The tournament has changed things up a little bit over past years. Instead of holding a dinner and auction, the fundraiser is hosting a concert.
Last year, country music legend Charley Pride helped organizers raise $106,000 -- $86,000 for the SLC and about $20,000 for the Jefferson City Cosmopolitan Club, which focuses on diabetes education and awareness programs and projects.
SLC is a nonprofit agency that provides early intervention services for children with developmental delays and disabilities. The center provides its students opportunities to get involved in myriad activities and programs.
Henke's daughter, Amanda, who was born with Down syndrome, was one of the very first students of the center, which serves more than 700 families per year.
"They gave (Amanda) a leg up. Anything I can do to help them, I try to do," Henke said. "God gave me a lot of talent and the ability to throw 100 mph. I feel it's my duty to give back."
McCoy and others have been very generous with their time and resources for the tournament, he said. The concert is an opportunity to raise money for a good cause.
"We need to sell tickets," Henke said. "I'm asking people to come out and support that charity."
Tickets are $50 and $75 at midmotix.com. The Miller Performing Arts Center is located at 501 Madison St. in Jefferson City.
Low Rent District performs at 6 p.m., and McCoy's show begins at 7 p.m.
Over the years, the golf tournament has raised more than $350,000 that has gone toward Cosmo Club's diabetes projects.
A year ago this month, when the Cole County Health Department opened its new home on Truman Boulevard, it introduced a partnership with the club - the Cosmo Educational Center, a kitchen and learning center within the structure built to give instructors a place to teach the public how to prepare healthy foods or where groups can host health-related meetings and classes.
The club invested more than $17,000 in the venue.
During Cosmopolitan International's summer convention in Chicago this summer, the organization honored the local club with a community service award for creating the learning center, club member Greg Shields said.
"We're a little-bitty club trying to do great big things," Shields said.
The big push right now is filling seats for the concert, he continued.
Support from the golf tournament and the Cosmo Club helped the SLC build a new wing in 2001, Executive Director Debbie Hamler said.
The SLC and its reach have grown since Amanda arrived there as a newborn more than 30 years ago.
"Once we started traveling and providing therapy (in other counties), we blossomed," Hamler said.
The new wing was used for kindergarten students for the first 10 years. Now, it's used only for therapy.
This has been an explosive growth year for therapy. Although only about 70 students used the therapy wing last year, this year the wing serves 130.
The service couldn't have been offered without support from the golf tournament, Hamler said.
"(Tom Henke's) idea to provide a fundraiser," Hamler said, "has helped thousands and thousands of children."