Bands to battle for charity at Glenbard East

Glenbard East students in rock bands, jazz combos, dance groups and an improv comedy troupe will perform during a battle of the bands Thursday to raise funds primarily for a Lombard camp for children with cancer.

“We’ve always used this as a vehicle to have kids perform music and showcase their talents,” said Chris VanDenBerg, a Glenbard East social studies teacher who organizes the event. “But it has also allowed us to donate thousands of dollars to local, national and international charities.”

TLC Camp Inc. is a weeklong summer day camp for kids with cancer and one of their siblings run by the Lombard Junior Women’s Club.

It costs $50,000 each year to run the program for about 100 campers, and all the funds come from donations, said Nancy Spartz, one of the camp’s co-directors.

“They look forward to it. We don’t really address the issue that they have cancer,” Spartz said of TLC campers, all of whom get to attend for free. “This is a week they get to have fun.”

In six years, the Glenbard East battle of the bands has donated several thousand dollars to the camp, VanDenBerg said.

“TLC gets the majority of our donations because it’s so local, because it’s a beautiful week for the kids,” VanDenBerg said.

The battle, which runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m., is expected to generate another $4,000 or $5,000 for TLC Camp and other charities, he said.

Admission is $7 for the battle, which will be held in the school’s gym at 1014 S. Main St. in Lombard. Bringing a canned good gets attendees $1 off the admission price.

TLC Camp is still accepting applications for this year’s session, which is scheduled for June 20 to 24 in Lombard. For details or to make a donation, visit tlccamp.org.