Operation Helping Heroes Music Festival set for Saturday

BELLAIRE, Ohio — The third annual Operation Helping Heroes Music Festival will be held Saturday at Chase Field in Bellaire. All proceeds go to a special organization that helps veterans and their families.

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Keith Warner's son came up with the idea to begin a music festival in Bellaire, but they wanted to give the money raised to a military charity.

"I'm a veteran and I got out of the army back in '87 and with everything going on in the country today and the wars and everything, the Fisher House is such a wonderful place and what they do for the veterans," says Warner.

The Fisher House of Pittsburgh is a home away from home for many military families while their loved ones are being at the VA hospital and all of the money earned at the summer-time festival goes to them.

"You need places like this, with everything going on in the world today, you got to have places like this for military families," says Warner.

Warner and his committee have been planning for the festival all year and Saturday, Chase Field in Bellaire will be filled with a stage, food and people from near and far.

Opening ceremonies will take place at 1 o'clock and a special American flag will be traveling for the occasion.

"The flag actually was flown in Korea," says Warner.

The flag was on a military base there in 1982 and will soon be flying in Bellaire. After the ceremony, six rock bands will take the stage. This event is very near and dear to Warner and he hopes everyone will come out to support our veterans.

Tickets are still available. Bands include Highland Rose, Resistance 13, DB Rocker, Seldom Told, Homicide Black, and Silvertung.