Christmas for Kids will be able to help at least five needy children from donations from the Nashville Nights show at the Royal Palace Theatre.

There is, however, another opportunity to help the cause Tuesday as the Roanoke Rapids Police Club holds a barbecue plate sale at ProBuild from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Wells of Desperado.

“We’d like to provide Christmas for 20 children,” Major Tommy Hathaway of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department said Friday night following the show.

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The police club, which sponsored the free concert, asked attendees to bring a $5 donation. Those donations raised $1,000 for the Christmas for Kids drive, a program in which deserving children are treated to a shopping spree for clothes and a few toys. “We can adequately help five underprivileged children have a happy Christmas,” Hathaway said.

With the 240 barbecue plate tickets already sold, there has been another $1,900 raised for the effort and tickets are still available by asking any member of the Roanoke Rapids Police Department.

Varnell

For the artists performing at the theater Friday night, the benefit was not only a chance to play at the venue, but help the cause. “Any kind of benefit like this is awesome,” said Shane Wells of the Emporia band Desperado, which played as the opening act.

Russ Varnell, who fronts the Too Country Band and plays traditional country music inspired by Buck Owens and other Nashville legends, said this was the first time he played at the theater, although he has sat in the seats for the Ray Price show.

As far as the reason his band was playing, Varnell said, “I think it’s great. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this great cause.”