A musical celebration to honor the college fraternity members who protected the American flag during a Palestinian campus protest at the University of North Carolina this past spring is set for Labor Day and will feature performances of Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated artists.
Dubbed Flagstock 2024, singer/songwriter John Rich, along with the non-profit Pints for Patriots, will host the event in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The party will feature Rich's country music band Big & Rich, musician and vocalist Aaron Lewis, singer/songwriter Vladimir John Ondrasik III – known by his stage name Five for Fighting – and country music performer Lee Greenwood. The two-hour concert will be live-streamed.
"Well, we made a promise to the boys in North Carolina to give them a free concert, and now we're ready to throw down on Labor Day to salute these patriots of UNC!" Rich said. "These guys have become a symbol of hope for a generation and have so much potential to lead."
On April 30, a group of UNC Chapel Hill fraternity members protected the American flag, grabbing it during a pro-Palestinian campus protest when demonstrators attempted to replace the American flag with a Palestinian one.
Members of the school's Pi Kappa Phi, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and other fraternities surrounded the flagpole and kept the U.S. flag from touching the ground while being pelted with debris, liquid, and screamed insults by masked pro-Palestine protesters.
A GoFundMe page was started to host a party for the fraternity members who were involved and raised more than $500,000 before it was shuttered. Besides being used for the party, donations will be made to various charities chosen by the fraternities. They include Back the Blue NC, Children of Fallen Patriots, Wounded Warrior Project, and the Zeta Beta Tau Foundation to combat antisemitism.
"Our gratitude remains with our donors, who wanted nothing more than to say 'thank you' to these fine young men who acted with moral clarity and courage," John Noonan, the organizer of the GoFundMe campaign said, extending a special thanks to Rich for his energy and leadership.
Since the protest and counter action, Rich has made various news appearances praising the young men. Pints for Patriots formed as a result of the viral online fundraiser.
Recently, several UNC Chapel fraternity brothers were honored with a rousing reception at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, walking in a procession carrying American flags to the convention floor.
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