The legacy of Larry McDonald lives on in people’s hearts.

Now, community members have harmonized to bring an event that not only helps kids in financial need but also allows others to flaunt their guitars.

A year ago, Jordan Richart, public relations manager for the Jackson County Visitor Center, struck up a conversation in the office with fellow “guitar guys” about guitar shows.

“There aren’t a lot of guitar shows around here, and given the fact that Seymour has such a rich music history, we thought it would be cool to organize a guitar show,” Richart said.

They began looking for a partner, and with Richart’s strong connection with This Old Guitar Music Store in downtown Seymour, he thought they would be perfect.

“I’ve got a really good relationship with This Old Guitar, and it just makes sense, a guitar show and a music shop to partner on something like this,” he said. “We were supposed to have the event last fall, but time kind of got away from us.”

With the upcoming Crossroads Acoustic Fest and McDonald’s birthday on April 13, however, the timing finally felt right.

The Larry McDonald Memorial Guitar Show will allow people in the community to display their own guitars or other stringed instruments in a space rental. People also are welcome to buy, sell, trade or show off their favorite stringed instrument.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Larry McDonald Band Fund that provides financial assistance for the purchase or rental of band instruments at Seymour High School.

After the untimely passing of McDonald on Feb. 4, 2021, his son, Matt McDonald, who now runs the music shop, and his family decided to carry on his legacy by establishing a band fund.

“Larry’s legacy and life’s work has been giving the gift of music to kids, and this fund will help kids continue their passion for music,” Richart said.

The band fund was established in April 2021 by the Community Foundation of Jackson County and has been helpful in providing support for students in the band.

“The ultimate goal at some point is to have a scholarship made that a student can apply for,” McDonald said. “If we can make this an annual event, I think eventually, we can turn it into a scholarship.”

Another goal McDonald and Richart hope to achieve is to bring music enthusiasts and the community together for an afternoon with the main purpose of raising money for the band fund.

“It will be interesting to see what everybody has, different styles, brands, eras of guitars, and have the opportunity to share that,” Richart said.

As far as setting a fundraising goal for the event, it’s something the duo is not concerned with, and so far, they are doing well.

“We are doing good so far, and we didn’t really set a goal,” McDonald said. “We just wanted to try. Anything is better than nothing, and we have about $2,500 right now.”

Money is still being collected from sponsorships and T-shirt sales, and for those who want to have their own booth at the event, there will be a registration fee.

“We are pretty impressed so far, and our sponsorship levels are pretty affordable, I would say,” Richart said.

In collaboration with Crossroads Acoustic Fest, Knights of Columbus Council 1252 generously offered the upstairs area for McDonald and Richart to host the guitar show for no rental fee.

They are excited to see what collectors from the surrounding area bring to the event for the community to see the different eras of stringed instruments. While the duo still gathers donations and sponsors, they have seen contributions from outside Indiana that support their cause.

“Larry was generous with his time to anyone who visited him,” Richart said. “John Mellencamp’s following (known as the “Mellenheads”) paid for a sponsorship, and they all come from different states.”

McDonald said this fund is the first time the store is able to get directly involved with the band program.

“Larry would have students come in wanting to go to these band competitions or band trips to Disney, but it was something they couldn’t afford,” McDonald said. “That is what kind of put the band fund together to help those kids.”

The band fund goes to Seymour High School as a grant for the band department, and while it can be used to help rent or purchase instruments, the school can decide to use it in other areas where financial barriers occur for a band student.

Over the years, McDonald and This Old Guitar had been heavily involved in the community by supporting different events, charities and nonprofits.

“You name it, really. He was involved in it. He donated some signed guitars and a lot of his time, too,” McDonald said.

Some of the notable events McDonald spent his time with were Cars and Guitars, Scoop the Loop and Seymour Oktoberfest, which was a very special night for the students of the music shop. He also organized a Fourth of July concert, often featuring his students, at Shields Park for many years.

“On a night of the Oktoberfest, he would close down the store and this entire shop would be filled with chairs. He gave the space to many students and other musicians to play onstage,” Richart said.

As the duo prepares for the guitar show, they can’t help but think how proud McDonald would be as his legacy lives on to help kids reach for the stars.

“He would be checking Facebook every chance he could get and calling people up about this. He would just be absolutely thrilled,” McDonald said.

“This keeps his memory and legacy alive,” Richart said. “Any time you see a kid strumming a guitar or playing a drum, he was probably taught by Larry.”

The Larry McDonald Memorial Guitar Show will be from noon to 4 p.m. April 29 on the second floor of the Knights of Columbus, 118 E. Second St., Seymour.

For information about being a sponsor or registering for a booth, stop by This Old Guitar, 106 W. Second St., Seymour, or call 812-524-8986.