An Evening of both traditional carols and newer favorites highlights this year’s annual Cottage Event Center concert fundraiser for the Marine Corps TOYS FOR TOTS program. The event features popular vocalist Shannon Persinger backed again by pianist Eric Clancy’s jazz trio. The concert, scheduled for Friday, December 2nd, begins at 7:30 PM at the Roanoke venue on US 24.

Singer Shannon Persinger regularly performs a variety of music ranging from Jazz to the hits of Country icon Patsy Cline throughout the Fort Wayne area. She was previously part of the duo SHADE N SHANNON, is a frequent vocalist at The Chapel in Fort Wayne, and has sung for the Fort Wayne’s annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Her previous performances at The Cottage Event Center have all been sellouts.

Keyboardist Eric Clancy, a former adjunct Professor of Jazz Theory at Huntington University, has been a professional musician since the 1990’s. Besides performing, Clancy teaches piano at the Sweetwater Academy in Fort Wayne. He has been featured several times at Jeff Fest in Huntington, is a frequent artist at area jazz venues including Club Soda, and was featured at this year’s Three Rivers Festival accompanying national R & B recording artist Ty Causey. Besides Clancy, the trio will include Michael Patterson on Bass and Mark Vincenti on Drums.

Tickets are twelve dollars each and may be purchased by phone by calling 260-483-3508, at John’s Meat Market in Roanoke, or with PayPal at cottageeventcenter.com. Doors open at 6:30 with the show beginning at 7:30. Food will be available for purchase from MOOSE &. A cash bar will also be available.

TOYS FOR TOTS will provide gifts for over five hundred Huntington County young people, from infants to teenagers. The organization will be collecting toys until mid-December utilizing drop off boxes at various businesses in the area.

The TOYS FOR TOTS program began in 1947 in Los Angeles when Major Bill Hendricks collected and distributed five thousand toys to California youngsters. The 501 (c)(3) tax exempt organization has been supported over the years by such notable celebrities as John Wayne, Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Tim Allen, Garth Brooks and Kenny Rogers and has to date delivered over 486 million toys. It is expected that the group will distribute toys to over 13 million children nationwide this year. More information may be obtained on the TOYS FOR TOTS website www.toysfortots.org.

The Cottage Event Center will also again be hosting a Comedy Mystery Theater production, “Dead In The Water”, on New Year’s Eve produced by Fort Wayne’s popular BOWER NORTH PRODUCTIONS.

The Cottage Event Center is located at 9524 US 24 N (at Locust) in Roanoke. The venue is owned and operated by Hamilton Hospitality Group LLC.