It has been apparent that many community members have really missed the annual summer concerts at the Mitchell Amphitheater these past few summers. Historically, folks from the area could gather at the amphitheater on Thursday evenings, but without a community champion for this project, the concerts were silenced. 

In an effort to bring back concerts to the community, the Cook Family Foundation has partnered with multiple organizations to bring back this popular activity. The City of Owosso, the Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts, and the Owosso Masonic Lodge are bringing the concerts back and partnering with a different nonprofit host each night.

The nonprofit hosts will bring awareness to concert goers about what they do. Each organization will bring staff and volunteers to represent their nonprofit and will give a short presentation at intermission. The Cook Family Foundation believes that our nonprofits are a vitally important resource in the Shiawassee Community, and the hope is that sharing this information at the concerts will help others to learn that as well. 

Raise UP Shiawassee is hosting the first concert of the summer on July 10th, 2025. The concert begins at 7:00 pm, and Raise UP Shiawassee representatives will be there prior to the concert to share their information with attendees. They bring a coalition of nonprofit organizations together to fundraise, share ideas, troubleshoot, and host GivingTuesday every year. This group of nonprofits is hosting the July 10th concert together to share about what Raise UP Shiawassee does, and why the collaboration of all these nonprofits is important. Raise UP Shiawassee is more than just a once a year donation after Thanksgiving; they work year-round to provide advocacy for all partnering Shiawassee Nonprofits. 

More than ever, nonprofit organizations need community support. These concerts are a step in the journey to supporting the work they do. Bringing awareness to the impact of each nonprofit is vital, and if just one person’s perspective is shifted by these concerts, it will be a win. Future concerts will be hosted by: the SafeCenter, Voices for Children, the Shiawassee Family YMCA, the Arc of Mid-Michigan, and the Shiawassee Humane Society. Each of these organizations are nonprofit partners of the Cook Family Foundation – committed to their mission in Shiawassee County. 

Make sure you plan to attend these concerts and learn more about the work happening locally by our hard-working nonprofits!
Learn more about the concerts at the City of Owosso’s Facebook Events page: https://www.facebook.com/Owosso/events.