About four years ago, Bob Geiger joined the PennLive team as Vice President, Sales.  He also joined the Rotary Club of Harrisburg (RCH) as soon as he could.

 

Along with his day job of promoting PennLive/Patriot News and its services, he is an accomplished singer/songwriter who has released several solo albums.

 

Enter Toni Mark, a 5-year member of RCH, and a brief conversation following a Monday Rotary meeting.  Toni had heard of Bob’s music passion and asked if he knew Steve Schwartz, then an active member of RCH.  Toni knew they shared a love for music.

 

At that time, Steve was heavily involved in promoting a Christmas album featuring local musicians titled Joy to the Burg.  The CD was sold as a fundraiser supporting two winter walk-in shelters for the region’s homeless population.  Steve’s entire career has been spent helping those less fortunate with housing, life skills and quality of life.

 

The Rotary Club of Harrisburg was one of the founding sponsors of the Joy to the Burg albums. Numerous RCH  members and their bands contributed songs to the albums, and fellow RCH members donated endless hours to volunteering at the shelters for men and women experience homelessness through the ministry of via Christian Churches United.

 

Geiger’s role that started from that casual luncheon conversation blossomed into contributing key songs to the 2022 and 2023 albums, as well as becoming one of the co-chairs of the annual Joy to the Burg program.  Bob has been so involved over the last two years that he attracted the attention of his fellow department members at PennLive.  Several are helping to make this year’s program a major and continuing success.  The organization certainly sees the value of community engagement.

 

The Rotary connections story doesn’t end there.  Harrisburg based television station WHTM learned of Joy to the Burg and when interviewed about the album, Bob mentioned how a chance conversation at a RCH meeting led to interconnected agency promotional planning for the fundraiser album.  Bob took the opportunity to mention Toni’s name and her work with the region’s Salvation Army.  A win-win for all.

 

Bob constantly recognizes the power of a Rotary connection and now serves on the RCH Board.  His musical passion has grown and those he’s met through Rotary are now “best buds.”

Since the inception of the Joy to the Burg in 2019, the project has raised over $150,000 to provide over 10,000 nights of winter shelter to more than five hundred men and women. About 120 of those individuals have been assisted finding long-term housing.

 

If you would like to hear the songs on the Joy to the Burg album, simply go to www.joytotheburg.com and purchase a download.  For information about the Rotary Club of Harrisburg go to https://portal.clubrunner.ca/6522.  To contact Ms. Mark, Resource Development Director at The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region go to Toni.Mark@USE.SalvationArmy.org