Combination benefit to rock The Stanhope House Sunday

This Sunday, Dec. 3, is the 5th Annual Art Show and Musical Benefit at The Stanhope House located at 45 Main Street in Stanhope. This annual benefit was organized by local dentist, Dr. Donato Soranno. “You see benefit art shows and benefit music shows. I decided to put them together to get both crowds at the same time to raise even more money,” said Soranno. The benefit in the past has raised between $2000-$3000 for local charities, like Ginnie’s House in Newton. Other charities that the benefit helps include Free Spirit Riders who use horseback riding as therapy for children with special needs and ARC in Hackettstown for art supplies. Other groups and individuals who are in need have been helped over the past 5 years as well. This year features artists Gene Feller, Don Miller, Dennis Pallozzi, and Dr. Soranno himself. Soranno also has a band, The Other White Meat, which will be performing along with Jake Stigers and Bill Wright. Wright is a local guitar teacher that performs in the area. Stigers just arrived back home from touring in Europe, and his popularity in the US is growing, with over 5,000 copies of his latest album sold. Soranno’s band got it’s name “from a pig roast we were performing for - we didn’t have a name really, and it was suggested to us that we call ourselves The Other White Meat - and it stuck,” explained Soranno. The Other White Meat recently did another benefit for a family in the area who lost their home to the floods this past year. “All of us in the band have day jobs. More than 80% of the band’s gigs are making money to help people. We want to make it extremely local,” said Soranno. The benefit is this Sunday at the Stanhope House. Doors open for the Art Show at 2 p.m., music begins at 3:30 p.m. For more information call the Stanhope House at 973-347-0548.