It’s fundraising season in South Boston: the time after the St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day festivities are over, and set right in the middle of the so-called gifting season. And these fundraisers are great “Southie times.” You know the motto: “Do well by doing good, and have a great time doing it.” It works.
Well, that was certainly true of the Oliver Hazard Perry School’s fundraising party, “Perry School Rocks,” last Saturday. Fortunately, it wasn’t raining (or snowing!) because they raised the roof inside Seapoint’s Banquet Room on Eighth Street. The Perry, a K-8 elementary institution, is the only school in South Boston with a seaside location, they’ll have you know. This fundraiser is for activities such as field trips, as well as more advanced and plentiful art supplies (you know the situation with the BPS’s stock of school supplies – no need to ask).
The high point of the festivities, which the Perry School and its fundraising staff termed highly successful, was the music of Thomas Park, South Boston’s ace cover band. The band’s axis stretches from lead singer Paul Eastman to back drummer Joe Tobias. They are balanced by Mike, who doubles on keyboard and guitar, P.D., singer and guitarist, and Billy, a left-handed bassist. They truly rock. And they’ve been together for just over 20 years. To top them off, Thomas Park was joined for much of their second set by singer Bill Linehan and guitarist Leo Stapleton.
If this write-up seems to emphasize Thomas Park to a great extent, well, that is intentional. The Perry School likes them as fundraisers and Paul Eastman’s two kids go there as well, so there are strong ties. Try Thomas Park for your own next “Southie time.”
Guests Leo Stapleton and Bill Linehan do some wailing of their own. (Photo by Rick Winterson)
