November 12, 2020

Media Contact:

Rachel Evey, WVC Foundation executive director, 509-682-6415
Robert Sandidge, RLS Productions, LLC 509-669-6872

The annual RLS Productions’ Concerts in the Gardens will take place on the Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee campus in 2021. Founded by Robert and Catherine (Rio) Sandidge, the concert series is a five-week summer concert series held in Wenatchee. It will be held in the Cooprider Sport Fields Complex near the Student Recreation Center.

“Rio and I are very excited about building an even stronger relationship and a confident partnership with WVC by moving our established mid-week summer concerts series to the college campus,” he said. “The new location is genuinely a solid, long term step forward in a positive direction that will allow us to continue to build on the number of scholarships available to be awarded from the RLS Productions endowment. We have always wanted to realize a sincere collaboration for our series and we have found it with the enthusiastic team at WVC.”

One of the goals of the concert series is to continue to build on the $47,000 scholarship endowment for the WVC Foundation through an annual contribution of 25 percent of the net ticket sales, while at the same time generating immediate annual financial assistance for students in need.

The 2021 series will begin Thursday, June 25 and will be every Thursday until July 23. A full list of dates and artists can be found at rlstalent.com/2021-concerts-in-the-gardens.

The WVC Foundation received $11,000 in contributions raised during the 2019 season of the RLS Productions’ Concerts in the Gardens. The 2020 series was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the2019 RLS Productions’ Concerts in the Gardens summer series a total of $65,500has been raised and donated for the Wenatchee Valley College Foundation with over $47,000 going into our RLS Productions’ Endowment account and $18,000 of this having already being awarded in $1,000 scholarships to students in need at WVC.  One of the goals of the concert series is to build on the scholarship endowment for the WVC Foundation through an annual contribution of 25 percent of the net ticket sales, while at the same time generating immediate annual financial assistance for students in need.

“We are honored to have a partnership with RLS Productions to benefit WVC students,” said Rachel Evey, WVC Foundation executive director. “It’s inspiring to see Robert, a WVC alumnus, sharing our mission with the community and giving back to support students.”

All requests to use campus spaces and facilities should be sent to Vice President of Administrative Services Brett Riley, briley@wvc.edu for approval. Both WVC campuses are currently closed for fall and winter quarter due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Three goals drive RLS Productions’ Concerts in the Gardens: First, increase mid-week tourism outside a 50-mile radius of Wenatchee Valley and its bedroom communities. Second, develop the series into a regional concert series, resulting in increased tourism. Third, continue to build on the $47,000 scholarship endowment for the Wenatchee Valley College Foundation through an annual contribution of 25 percent of the net ticket sales, while at the same time generating immediate annual financial assistance for students in need. Learn more at RLStalent.com.

The WVC Foundation was incorporated in 1971. It exists to build relationships between the community and the college and raise financial support for Wenatchee Valley College students, programs, faculty and staff, as well as special projects such as building campaigns like the Music and Art Center. For information on how to make a gift to the foundation, establish a scholarship or include the WVC Foundation in your estate plans, contact (509) 682-6410. Visit the WVC Foundation website at wvc.edu/Foundation.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Student Access Director, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.