Arlington Heights benefit to help troops

The Sons of the American Legion Post 208 in Arlington Heights will host the third annual Operation Happy Note fundraiser from 6 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 23. The event is coordinated by the local band The 208's, whose American Legion members have worked directly with the founders of Operation Happy Note, Barb and Bob Baker of Fergus Falls, Minn., for the past three years.

Their goal is to raise money to cover the high cost of shipping musical instruments to American troops serving around the globe. To date, the Baker's have received an average of 350 requests for instruments each month and postage remains the greatest need to fulfill those requests from their inventory of donated instruments.

Last year's fundraiser resulted in donations of $3,400 that helped send close to 60 instruments (guitars, violins, banjos, keyboards, etc.) to U.S. servicemen and women overseas, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition to The 208's, two other local groups will perform a variety of blues, rock 'n' roll and classic tunes from the '60s. As a special addition to this year's event, the Bakers will make a personal appearance during the program to share heartwarming stories of how the simple act of sending music has made a difference in the morale of the more than 2,700 recipients of donated instruments over the past five years.

Cost to attend is a donation of $10 per person with food and a cash bar available. Tickets are available at the door only. For more information about Operation Happy Note, visit operationhappynote.com. The American Legion Post is located at 121 N. Douglas, in Arlington Heights.