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NORTH MANCHESTER - The Aggie Dotson Memorial Southern Gospel Diabetic Benefit Concert is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at the North Manchester High School auditorium. Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets for adults are $12 at the door ($10 in advance). Children age 12 and under are half price.
"All this is in the name of my wife," Ralph Dotson, Silver Lake, said. "She was a real well-liked person. But she had a tough time with this (diabetes)."
Aggie Dotson died Jan. 25, 1999, of complications from diabetes. Ralph Dotson said his wife had a lot of surgeries and finally opted to go off dialysis.
"I can do this for my wife and I can do this for other people (with diabetes)," Dotson said. "The more knowledge we have of this the better we're going to be."
Dotson said he wants to spread awareness of diabetes. And holding this concert in his wife's name is one way he can get information on diabetes out to the public.
"People don't realize how serious it is," he said. "I learned those things I didn't know" through Aggie's struggle with diabetes, Dotson said.
"We do what we can with experiences," he said.
"We want the public to know (we) get nothing," Dotson said of money from the concert. He said all the proceeds go to the American Diabetes Association.
"We set a goal for ourselves for $5,000 and we've exceeded that," he said. "People have been so helpful."
Performers will include The Hinsons, Ronny Hinson and The Freemans, all of Nashville, Tenn. Also performing are The Dotsons of Silver Lake, who are John and his wife, Yavonna. John is Ralph's son.
This is the first time for the benefit concert. Dotson said if it's successful, he hopes the concert will become an annual event.
"We want to really push this to know what we can do," Dotson said.
He said they will hand out brochures on diabetes the night of the concert.
"They (doctors/medicine) can extend your life for a good while now, but eventually it's going to take its toll on your organs," Dotson said of diabetes.
He said early symptoms of diabetes include: thirst, urinating often, problems with eyesight, losing weight without trying and eating a lot and still loosing weight.
Tickets for Saturday's benefit concert can be purchased at: In The Garden Bookstore, Warsaw; Herald Christian Bookstore, Winona Lake; Cornerstone Christian Bookstore, Rochester; Joy Christian Bookstore, Wabash; The Lighthouse Christian Bookstore, Churubusco; Providence Bookstore, Goshen; and The Anchor Room, Fort Wayne.
For more information on the concert, call 982-7714.
