LET'S ROCK!

Rock The Rich Center 2025

Featuring

The Legendary

LITA FORD

With Special Guest

THE VINDYS

YOUNGSTOWN FOUNDATION AMPHITHEATRE

May 31, 2025

Online Silent Auction

Buy Tickets

BOOK YOUR STAY

ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NIGHT

Party like a rockstar then relax like one, too!

Make the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Youngstown your own personal rockstar hangout on May 31st.

Located in the heart of the city, you'll have easy access to the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre for the main attraction and Penguin City Brewing for the official pre-party and after party of Rock The Rich Center!

RESERVE A ROOM

ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NIGHT

Penguin City Brewing is the official Party Headquarters of Rock The Rich Center.

Get geared up during the pre-party from 4pm-6pm with live music from Seamus and Rhyme of Silence.

Come right back for the after party from 11pm-12:30am with live music from Along For The Ride.

Grab a drink, some friends and get ready to rock 'n' roll all night..... and party every day!

LET'S ROCK

ARTISts

LITA FORD

Lita Ford’s career began in 1975 as a founding member and guitarist of the groundbreaking all female group the Runaways. The groups hard rock / punk edge spawned hits like “Cherry Bomb” and “Queens of Noise”.

Lita and the Runaways proved their timelessness in 2014 when “Cherry Bomb” was featured in the critically acclaimed Marvel / Disney Studios hit movie “Guardians Of The Galaxy”and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

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THE VINDYS

LITA FORD

The Vindys have built a rock-solid word of mouth reputation over the past decade, captivating audiences with their unique blend of rock, soul, and pop.

The band is comprised of seasoned musicians from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University, who create compelling song arrangements with Popovec as the primary songwriter. The band members' diverse experiences and savvy skills contribute to the depth and maturity of their intricate yet relatable music.

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Letter from the executive director

DEAR FRIEND,

The Advisory Board, Friends of The Rich Center Board, and staff of The Rich Center for Autism at Youngstown State University are excited to invite you to our annual Rock The Rich Center event on May 31, 2025. This live entertainment event will be hosted at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre in Youngstown, Ohio as we welcome legendary rock star Lita Ford with special guest The Vindys!

We’re so fortunate for sponsors like you who’ve turned this into our largest fundraising event of the year, supporting the mission of The Rich Center for Autism to serve local students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. In fact, due to your ongoing support and the success of Rock The Rich Center, we’ve outgrown local indoor venues and are so excited to move this year’s event to the premier outdoor concert venue in Youngstown! This move will help facilitate more donors and a larger audience, which in turn amplifies the reach and exposure for our sponsors.

Last year’s Rock The Rich Center concert raised funds to support treatment and education services, including additional vocational education materials and a lab; social-emotional learning platforms, including robotic and touch-screen technology; community-based field experiences, supplementing classroom instruction; speech, occupational, and art therapy services.

With the number of children diagnosed with ASD currently being reported as 1 in 36, we are prepared to support the autism community and meet the growing needs of so many students and their families. We recognize that we would not be where we are today without the generosity of so many people who have donated their time, talents, and resources to allow us to expand, grow, and fulfill our mission.

We hope you will consider sponsoring this year’s Rock The Rich Center live music event. There are many opportunities at all levels to participate, details can be found within this packet. If you would like more information or to discuss other sponsorship options, please contact Jake Ellis at 330-941-1927, or jellis05@ysu.edu.

We anticipate this being our best concert series yet as we “Rock The Rich Center” and fill the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre with great music, great people, and a great cause. We look forward to seeing you on May 31, 2025!

Very truly yours,

Michael J. Latessa

Executive Director

ABOUT THE center

The Paula and Anthony Rich Center for the Study and Treatment of Autism combines the latest in autism research with the newest and most innovative theories in education to help children with autism reach their full potential.

The Center is an externally funded unit of Youngstown State University, serving as a conduit between the University, educators, and health and human resources professionals.

As a component of the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social science & Education, The Rich Center for Autism also prepares educators, medical specialists and other professionals in best practices for teaching and caring for these special people.

Our Mission

To improve education experiences and outcomes for individuals with autism and their families through teaching, research and community engagement.

Our Vision

To provide individualized, evidence-based, data-driven,best-practice programming in a state -of-the-art facility to maximize each student’s personal, social and developmental growth.

Our History

The Rich Center for Autism was established in 1995 through the collaborative efforts of the Kosar, Rich (Ricchiuti), and Rubino families, who have shared interest in helping people with autism. The Center was named in the memory of Paula and Anthony Rich and their unborn child, whose lives tragically ended in a plane crash outside of Pittsburgh on September 8, 1994. It is the founder’s dream that from this tragedy will spring hope for those affected by autism.

LET'S ROCK!

Rock The Rich Center 2025

Official Concert Shirts & Merch

BOOK YOUR STAY

ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NIGHT

ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NIGHT

ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NIGHT

ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NIGHT

ROCK 'N' ROLL ALL NIGHT

LITA FORD with special guest THE VINDYS

WKBN

WFMJ

ROCKSTAR SPONSORS