LA GRANDE — Cassy Kellogg wanted to do something special for her children and other kids after the strain of nearly two years of COVID-19 mandates.

So, one day earlier this month, when Kellogg saw a clip of an Alex Boye concert on social media, on a whim she reached out to Boye’s camp to inquire about possibly having the Utah-based singer perform in Union County.

“When I watched how fun those concerts are, I just thought I want my kids and their friends and the kids in our area to be able to have that experience,” Kellogg said.

Boye’s free, public “Bend not Break” suicide awareness concert will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Union County Fairgrounds. Magician/motivational speaker Brad Barton will open for Boye. Don Kellogg, Cassy Kellogg’s husband, met Barton in 2000 at a Boy Scout camp at Farragut State Park.

“You have all these acts that like to go to the big cities, We just like to go to a city,” Boye said. “This isn’t like an Alex Boye concert, this is a mental health, suicide prevention awareness concert. That applies to anyone and everyone.”

The Kelloggs have been seeing to all the details that go into bringing in a nationally known artist in a short period of time.

“We have a lot going on,” Don Kellogg said.

Finding an ‘angel’

When she reached out to Boye about coming to La Grande, Cassy Kellogg said she was given a couple of options about raising the money to pay for the concert — find sponsors or “find an angel.”

The couple found an unnamed “angel” who donated $50,000 to make the concert happen. Don Kellogg, who retired a couple of years ago after a long career with Avista, is raising another $15,000 to pay for Barton and the rest of the event.

Cassy Kellogg said finding either a sponsor or an “angel” was a key factor in making sure the concert happened.

“Alex and I were half in tears reading the note that they found an ‘angel,’ Eddie Wenrick, Boye’s manager, said. “These people are serious. They want to help kids. We have to show up.”

Boye’s shows routinely draw as many as 10,000 people. The Kelloggs are optimistic the Union County show can draw as many as 2,500 fans.

“There’s people who will travel from Boise and the Tri-Cities to see Alex,” Don Kellogg said.

Sharing a positive message

Cassy Kellogg said she’s seen, and heard about, young people struggling emotionally and mentally during the pandemic. When she saw the clip of Boye’s performance on his “Ignite the Light” tour, she thought having him bring his show to La Grande and offering suicide prevention resources could be beneficial.

“People come to watch the concert, but the purpose in the tour is to connect local people with local resources,” she said. “So the Union County Safe Communities Coalition is supporting us.”

Boye said mental health therapists, called “thought leaders,” will share during the concert and will be available for anyone who wants to talk about mental health.

“That’s a win for me,” he said.

Exhibitors will have booths to provide resources and the Kelloggs also are working with the La Grande Lions Club to open their booth at the fairgrounds to sell hamburgers.

“That would be another charity people would be donating to if they bought lunch,” Cassy Kellogg said.

The concert will strive to follow all COVID-19 mandates, including masks and social distancing.

“We want everyone to wear a mask,” Cassy Kellogg said.

The Kelloggs also urge attendees to bring blankets and folding chairs to the concert.

Boye’s background

Boye has resided in Utah for two decades. He is a former member of the European boy-band “Awesome” and of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Boye’s professional career has included recording religious and Latter-day Saints music.

In recent years, he has built a massive YouTube following by performing Africanized versions of popular music, including “Let It Go” and “Circle of Life,” from the Disney movies “Frozen” and “The Lion King,” respectively, as well as the Taylor Swift hit “Shake It Off.”

Boye also appeared on America’s Got Talent and was named the 2017 artist of the year and grand prize winner in a music contest sponsored by Pepsi and Hard Rock Cafe. This past December in Miami, he performed a halftime show for NFL’s Monday Night Football.

“I’m hoping that La Grande can prove to the rest of the world that you can get Alex Boye to come because Los Angeles, Miami, Salt Lake City, those are his venues so far,” Don Kellogg said.