WSLM RADIO’s HOMEGROWN CHRISTMAS CONCERT held last weekend at the Salem Middle School raised almost $1500 for Shop With A Cop.
Owner and General manager Rebecca White gave the proceeds of the show — $1,401 – to Salem Police Department officers Eric Mills and Scott Ratts during Thursday morning’s edition of Coffee Club.
This will help approximately 14 needy children in Washington County. 
Mills said the program has been going on locally since the 1970s when Marlon Robertson and Eugene Helm took some money left over from an FOP Country music concert and decided to take some needy children shopping for Christmas.
“I think they helped 25 kids that year,” said Mills. “This year we were able to take 100 children shopping.” Mills said the goal is to help 200 children and they have about three weeks in order to provide clothes and a toy for the remaining hundred.
White said she hopes to do the Christmas show again next year and hopes the community and businesses will support it more in 2015. “People have asked me for a couple of years to organize a concert in Salem. I will continue to organize shows like this, but I really hope they are well attended. The Salem Middle School holds 500 and we had 125. Hopefully word of mouth will help next year and we’ll have every seat filled. After all, it’s for the children.”
Rusty Bladen from Madison kicked things off, followed by Country Bourne and Deb Lyle Doyle from Mitchell, IN. Doyle is the sister of DL Reed, Salem Schools Superintendent. In fact, Reed and Doyle performed together as they sang and danced the “Sisters” song from White Christmas.
Moonshine and Berries, Hoot Von Woot and Short Notice Band also played, along with the Honorable Judge Bret Raper from Bloomington. Two groups from Nashville, Tn were scheduled to attend but had to cancel because of scheduling conflicts.
“I interviewed Pam Tillis the other morning from the Gault House. She said she was going to return to Louisville next December and would be glad to come up and help us raise money at our show,” said White. “But we’ll see. I have some good connections in Nashville for next year and will bring back our local and regional groups.”
“That’s the goal of WSLM’s HOMEGROWN RADIO show . . . to showcase local and regional talent,” said White. “There are enough songwriters, singers, bands, solo acts and musicians in the WSLM listening area that we can have a different person each week for the next four years.”
