Roanoke virtual concert aims to raise money for Carilion Cancer Center

Show will be 7 p.m. Friday

ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man is sharing his inspiring story while raising money for a good cause this weekend.

Keith Alessi will be performing his award-winning, one-man show, “Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me, but Banjos Saved My Life” at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Spot on Kirk in Roanoke.

The show will be virtual and can be watched on the Spot on Kirk’s Facebook page or its Instagram page.

Alessi’s show follows his story of surviving cancer and has been performed around the world, including a sold-out run off-Broadway in 2019.

“Well there’s hope if you do get cancer, and it’s important you know Carilion is kicking off their fundraising campaign for the Cancer Center. I’ve been using the show as a vehicle to raise money. We’ve raised over $150,000 for cancer charities here in the U.S. and Canada,” Alessi said.

Alessi will have local community members joining him on stage for the first time.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the Carilion Clinic Cancer Center.


About the Author

Annie Schroeder joined the 10 News team as a reporter in June 2020 and is no stranger to Southwest Virginia.

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