May 9, 2013 4 min read

While looking for a way to fund a proposed renovation project, the Burgettstown Area Youth Soccer Association took a little inspiration from “Wayne’s World 2.”

“We were trying to think of a fundraiser that would be different than what anybody else had done,” said Maria Newark, member of the BAYSA financial committee. “Burgettstown Lions do the tailgate, the basketball team does all-you-can-eat wing night – we wanted to do something different that could attract a large number of people.”

BAYSA had been looking for ways to raise funds for an expansion of their soccer complex in Smith Township. At one of the club’s meetings, somebody suggested holding a concert.

And thus, BAYSApalooza was born.

The concert will be held at the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse in Burgettstown Saturday. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m.

So far, organizers have found a number of regional groups from Ohio and Western Pennsylvania to fill out the show’s lineup. All of the groups either volunteered their time or offered reduced rates.

Burgettstown native David Taucher said when he heard about the show he was happy to enlist the services of his band, The Majors.

“I got a call from one of the guys in another band who asked us if we’d be interested,” Taucher said. “When he told me what the cause was I said, ‘Sure, we’d be glad to do it.'”

Taucher, whose outfit is doing the gig for free, said his bandmates were stoked to do the show even if they weren’t the world’s biggest soccer aficionados.

“None of us have ever played soccer,” Taucher said. “We’re more of a baseball band.

“But I know a lot of the families that have kids that are involved and if they need to improve their facilities, anything we can do is fine with us.”

Tickets to the event can be purchased on the organization’s website, www.BAYSA-soccer.org, or by emailing BaysaPalooza@gmail.com. A full lineup of artists also can be found on the website.

In addition to music, a dinner buffet will be offered from 5 to 7 p.m., a cash bar will be open all night and boosters will be selling raffle tickets for a smart TV, gift certificates, autographed Steelers memorabilia, 50/50 cash prizes and other prizes.

The Burgettstown-based soccer club is made up of boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 18, broken up into both recreational and competitive travel teams. For roughly the past 15 years, the group has been playing at the old ball fields in Smith Township. The land was renovated for soccer use, but league registrar Amy Lemmon said the association has grown out of its old digs.

“Basically, as it sits, we have 350 players on 31 teams,” Lemmon said. “With growth of the leagues in recent years, we would like to expand the fields and make upgrades. … That’s what our intentions are, anyway.”

Lemmon, whose four children all play on BAYSA teams, said organizers are currently drawing up an expansion plan for the township-owned space.

The plot currently can accomodate one or two groups of players on the fields at any given time. Group organizers hope to acquire more land to expand the number of fields.

BAYSApalooza is the group’s largest effort so far to raise funds to upgrade the facilities.

In addition to the additional fields, the group hopes to improve the concession areas and install a water system to irrigate the natural-grass playing surface.

Lemmon said the planned expansion was meant to bring even more players into their successful soccer program. Currently, children from as far away as Weirton, W.Va., and the North Hills of Pittsburgh come to play.

“It’s a ball,” Lemmon said. “Kids really have a great time, and it’s a really nice organization.”