Hot time at Braiden's Playground benefit (Posted 7/20/2010 01:21 pm)
By Christopher Amos

Steaming temperatures did not keep participants away from a Braiden’s Playground benefit Sunday. The parking lot was nearly full one hour after the gates opened at Turkey Creek Sports Bar and Chris Elliott was sending vehicles to property behind the business.

“It was slow at first, but it didn’t take long for the cars to start coming in,” Elliott said as he directed traffic. “It’s a pretty good crowd.”

Braiden Wright, an Alvarado 3-year-old, died June 5 from injuries he received in an accident at the family’s farm in Alvarado. He attended Sonshine Pre-school at the Alvarado Church of Christ, and the family intends to build a playground there in their son’s memory.

Sweat was running down the front of Matt Wayne’s guitar as he finished his set singing “Far to Fall,” a song the Texas country recording artist is receiving radio airplay with.

“Thank you all for coming out here today,” Wayne said as he wiped his face with his sleeve. “It is touching to see people get together and help each other like this.”

The schedule of acts included Steve Helms, Lingo Soul, Matt Wayne, Jeb Hatley, Up and Gone, Kilroys, Alias Smith and Jones, Dana Dethridge, James Weller, Chris Stacks, Mike Calloway, Aubry Lynn “Waller” England, Matt Beckett, Amos Moses Band, Scott Lagow and Ryan Price.
Texas Music Underground provided the sound system for the acts.

Ryan Price was performing by special invitation.

“Braiden’s grandmother wrote a poem about Braiden and I wrote music to it,” Price said as he watched auctioneer Terry Waters work the crowd from the stage between performances. “I sang the song for the family and they asked me to come here and play it today.”

The event included a silent auction.

Children held snow cones as they stood in line to have their faces painted or have clowns David “E.P. Chucle-Berry” Berry and Lindsey “Pookie” Foster make them colorful balloon hats.

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