Band Together NC Announces Alliance Medical Ministry and Urban Ministries as 2011 and 2012 Charity Recipients

RALEIGH, NC, October 23, 2010 (Press-News.org) Band Together NC, a Triangle-based organization whose mission is to raise funds and awareness for select charities through events that showcase and support musical talent, has announced Alliance Medical Ministry as its 2011 charity recipient and Urban Ministries of Wake County as its 2012 charity recipient. The decision was made at a final board meeting held Oct. 12.

The charity application process started in early August and drew more than 40 applicants. Since the application deadline, Band Together's board of directors narrowed down the applicant pool from 10 semi-finalists to four finalists and finally to the 2011 and 2012 charity recipients.

"The decision this year was the toughest ever, with so many deserving charity applicants in the community who need our help raising the bar," said Danny Rosin, president and co-founder of Band Together NC. "Both of these organizations work to improve the well-being of thousands of Wake County residents, and we knew that by partnering with them through this two-pronged approach to healthcare, we have a chance to make a real impact in the Triangle."

Alliance Medical Ministry is a faith-led nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable healthcare to the working uninsured in Wake County. Urban Ministries of Wake County is a nonprofit organization that alleviates the effects of poverty in Wake County by meeting people's basic needs for food, shelter and healthcare, providing services that promote self-sufficiency and building awareness of the issues of poverty within the larger community.

"We are so excited to be partnering with Band Together in 2011 as we work to raise awareness of the healthcare needs of Wake County residents," said Sean Harrison, executive director of Alliance Medical Ministry. "We've seen all the amazing things Band Together has done over the years, and we know that this partnership will greatly benefit the thousands of patients we serve."

With the success of their 2010 concert, Band Together has donated more $1 million to local nonprofits since its inception in 2001. This year's Band Together event helped raise $358,000 for StepUP Ministry, an interfaith nonprofit organization that teaches low-income and homeless people to become self-sufficient. Band Together ensures that 100 percent of net proceeds raised goes to the charity recipient.

"Coming in as Band Together's 2012 partner will allow us to ramp up our profile and fundraising efforts over the next two years," said Anne Burke, executive director at Urban Ministries of Wake County. "We look forward to working with Band Together, with whom we share a passion for our community, as we open the doors to health care for uninsured people in Wake County."

Past charity partners have included StepUP Ministry, The Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood, SAFEchild and more.

For more information about Band Together NC, visit http://www.bandtogethernc.org, become a fan on Facebook or follow @ bandtogethernc on Twitter. For more information on Alliance Medical Ministry or Urban Ministries of Wake County, visit http://www.alliancemedicalministry.org or http://www.urbanmin.com

About Band Together NC
Band Together NC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization composed of business and community leaders and volunteers from across the Triangle. Since its inception in 2001, the organization has helped raise more than $1 million for philanthropic organizations through one mission: using music to raise funds and awareness for local charities. Band Together is run entirely by volunteer efforts. For more information, please visit http://www.bandtogethernc.org.

About Alliance Medical Ministry
Alliance Medical Ministry is a faith-led nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable healthcare to the working uninsured in Wake County. Founded in 2003, AMM offers a primary care home to patients by operating on a private practice model. Comprehensive on-site services include chronic and acute medical care, health education, laboratory testing, on-site pharmacy and referrals for specialty care. In 2009, Alliance served more than 7,000 patients and conducted 10,179 patient visits. For more information, visit http://www.alliancemedicalministry.org.

About Urban Ministries of Wake County
Urban Ministries of Wake County is a nonprofit organization that alleviates the effects of poverty in Wake County by meeting people's basic needs for food, shelter and healthcare, providing services that promote self-sufficiency and building awareness of the issues of poverty within the larger community. For the past 30 years, Urban Ministries' programs have served more than 21,000 people a year. The Urban Ministries Open Door Clinic offers primary care to uninsured, low-income adults, the majority of whom suffer from chronic illness. The ODC provides disease management, education and prevention programs, a state-licensed pharmacy that filled more than 52,000 prescriptions in 2009 and referrals for specialty care for close to 6,000 active patients. For more information, visit http://www.urbanmin.org.