South Cumberland Community Fund (SCCF), serving a tri-county area on the Cumberland Plateau, will have its second annual Benefit Concert at The Caverns in Pelham, Tenn., on May 2. Doors open at 5 p.m., with music starting at 6 p.m. Local food trucks will be available for the audience. Tickets are available at the Fund’s website: <southcumberlandcommunityfund.org>.

Ten-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award winner Becky Buller headlines the evening alongside local school children who have been studying old-time music in Grundy County schools and choral music in Monteagle, thanks to a partnership between the SCCF, The Caverns, and the Paul S. McConnell Fund.

“We are really excited that Becky Buller and her fantastic band were willing to share their music to help advance our mission of fostering hope and prosperity in the Plateau community,” said Tom Sanders, executive director of the SCCF. “Our goal is to make this an annual event.”

Buller is as passionate about roots music education as she is performance.

“There is such a rich tradition of roots music in Middle Tennessee and all throughout Appalachia,” she said. “In supporting old-time music instruction particularly, the SCCF and their partners are connecting these students with their own heritage. We have to know where we come from to know where we’re headed and music builds bridges, bringing hope and healing like nothing else can. The band and I are very much looking forward to sharing the stage with these kids.”

Buller is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter from St. James, Minn., who has lived in Manchester, Tenn., for the last 15 years. She has written songs for Grammy award-winning albums by Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, The Travelin’ McCourys, and The Infamous Stringdusters.

Her many accolades include the 2016 IBMA Fiddler and Female Vocalist. She is the first woman in the history of the awards to receive the Fiddler nod; she is also the first person ever to win in both vocal and instrumental categories. In 2023, Buller was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall Of Fame.

For complete tour dates and to connect with her on social media, visit her website: <BeckyBuller.com>.

South Cumberland Community Fund launched in 2012 to foster hope and prosperity on the South Cumberland Plateau. SCCF has made over $1.5 million in grants in the tri-county area — the highland portions of Franklin and Marion County as well the entirety of Grundy County.

In addition, SCCF has invested over $700,000 in community development work and helped leverage funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service for AmeriCorps and VISTA volunteers working across the Plateau as well as in Manchester, Tenn. These programs have focused on building capacity of community organizations such as nonprofits and municipal and county governments to accomplish their work.

Currently, SCCF is convening people and developing partnerships to address housing shortages, lack of transportation, and community health. Funding priorities for SCCF are health, education, and economic development.

For more information go to <southcumberlandcommunityfund.org>.