“Our goal is to send five students to the Berklee Summer Programs,” says Angie Lane, a member of S-One’s Leadership Team. “By donating $1 per order for two months, S-One is ensuring that one of those five students will definitely go. We’re counting on our generous sponsor partners to help us reach our goal.”

S-One and Del Couch made this announcement at the Rock for a Cause Kick-off Party on May 12 on the fourth floor rooftop patio of the S-One headquarters, located on Main Street. During the party, students and alumni from the Foundation performed for attendees. They included 2015 Rock for a Cause winner Paige Merriman, iTunes chart-topping Matt Walden and 2014 American Idol contestant Sam Woolf, all of whom have been mentored by Del Couch and the Foundation.

“Partnering with S-One offers us an incredible opportunity to provide more for the students,” says Del Couch. “With the Berklee Summer Program, kids can stay from three days to five weeks at the most prestigious music college in the world. In fact, Sam Woof attended the five-week course, which led to him appearing on American Idol. It can truly start somebody’s career.”

To stay up-to-date on upcoming Rock for a Cause announcements and events, please follow the event on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. See photos from the Rock for a Cause Kick-Off Party in the gallery below:

ABOUT S-ONE: S-One Holdings Corporation is a global holding company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida that oversees a number of subsidiary companies: ABAQA, Avatrex, Brand Management Group, LexJet and Utopia Digital Technologies. S-One owns the brand names of Avatrex, Craft Attitude®, and LexJet®. S-One’s subsidiaries and brands are known throughout the graphics and media industries for the research, development, manufacturing, sale and distribution of products for imaging and design professionals worldwide. Through its subsidiary companies, S-One is the exclusive distributor of Tara Materials’ Fredrix line of wide-format inkjet canvas, and is the exclusive business partner for HP large format print media, and has the exclusive trademark licensing agreement for KODAK wide-format inkjet media and KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Media.

S-One has spearheaded Rock for a Cause for the past two years, celebrating the community and its local musicians. In year one, rockers Seven Years Past took the title and donated funds to Riverview High School. Last year, 15-year-old sensation Paige Merriman won the title, with donations going to Lakewood Ranch High School and the Del Couch Music Education Foundation, where she is mentored by Del, has recorded a CD and performed with the Foundation’s other talented musicians, such as 2014 American Idol contestant Sam Woolf, and iTunes chart-topping singer-songwriter Matt Walden. Each year, the winning schools also received additional grant money from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

“Being a part of the Del Couch Music Education Foundation and having the honor of winning such a respectable title has really put things into perspective for me,” Paige says. “Rock for a Cause showed me that I am, in fact, capable of much more than I thought. I can’t thank everyone enough who’s supported me and continues to do so.”

During the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, Heart of the Song, on March 19, 2016, S-One announced the new partnership. Funds raised through the 2016 Rock for a Cause event will be allocated to sending Foundation students to the Berklee College of Music Summer Internship program. The Heart of the Song featured performances by Sam Woolf, Matt Walden, Paige Merriman and One Night Rodeo.

“I’m excited to partner with a great community leader like S-One,” says Del Couch, founder of the Del Couch Music Education Foundation. “For these kids, spending a summer at Berklee’s program gives them exposure to the best music instructors at the leading music university in the world.”

Stay tuned to Rock for a Cause’s web page and Facebook page for updates on sponsorship opportunities, band submissions and event details.

“Our No. 1 goal with Rock for a Cause is to give back to the community in a fun and meaningful way, specifically ensuring that kids have access to music and arts programs – and Del’s Foundation is a great avenue to do just that,” says S-One’s Shauna Malgieri, head of the Rock for a Cause Executive Committee. “This event captures S-One’s family spirit while bringing together local musicians with some good, old-fashioned competition. We’re definitely ready to rock this year! Are you?”

Check out the gallery of photos from the Heart of the Song benefit, during which we announced our new partnership:

ABOUT S-ONE HOLDINGS CORPORATION: S-One Holdings Corporation is a global holding company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida that oversees a number of subsidiary companies: ABAQA Corporation, Avatrex Corporation, Brand Management Group, LexJet Corporation and Utopia Digital Technologies. Through its subsidiary companies, S-One is the exclusive distributor of Tara Materials’ Fredrix line of wide-format inkjet canvas, and is the exclusive business partner for HP large format print media, and has the exclusive trademark licensing agreement for KODAK wide-format inkjet media and KODAK PROFESSIONAL Inkjet Media.

ABOUT THE DEL COUCH MUSIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION: The Del Couch Music Education Foundation offers children free access to music education, recording equipment and mentorship. The foundation is located inside the Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, Fla., where the program founder and director Del Couch conducts four levels of classroom training in music recording and production and providing performance opportunities through events and mentorships.