'Warriors Rock' honors veterans, first responders with Irwin concert

Gary Racan and the studio e band will present “Warriors Rock,” a concert to honor veterans and first responders, at 6 p.m. Sunday in Irwin Park.

Incorporated into the concert will be videos of eight area veterans, who will tell their stories and share a song that reminded them of home while they were deployed.

The band will perform the special song at the end of each veteran’s video.

“It’s very moving,” said Chrys Sebula, a member of the the Irwin Civic Committee, which is sponsoring the concert as part of the borough’s Concerts in the Park series. “We actually have two World War II veterans in the videos. That was very surprising. They’re in their 90s now.

“There are Vietnam veterans, Iraq veterans and a woman who was injured in Afghanistan,” she added.

Warriors Rock was created in 2013 by Gary and Kim Racan in honor of their fathers, both of whom were veterans.

The Racans are owners of Hempfield-based Racan Productions, formerly called studio e entertainment. Gary Racan is the vocalist for the studio e band, and Kim is manager and producer.

The band performs about a dozen of the Warriors Rock concerts every year. The program includes patriotic tunes and music popular through the decades, and also calls attention to the needs of veterans.

The Irwin event will be especially meaningful as it falls on 9/11, Sebula said.

The program is appropriate for all ages, she added.

Admission is free. Attendees should bring their own seating. Food will be available for purchase from Candy’s Corner Cafe.

In case of rain, the event will be canceled.

For more information, call 724-863-8007 or visit Concerts in the Park, Irwin PA on Facebook.