By Mary Jane Farmer, Scene In Town

Horses in the next-door pasture

Pix from Festival (Sorry, but I had to leave for another event before the last two bands, so no pix of Kevin Deal or Pake McEntire bands.)

Dr. John Galewaler’s dream of building a nursing home exclusively to help people with brain injuries receive quality care may have taken a giant step forward Saturday, with the festival fundraiser in Whitesboro.

Seven bands banded together to perform for a crowd there for the dual purposes of helping get the Texoma Brain Injury Center started and to spend a crisp autumn day listening to the best in Texas music.

Dr. Galewaler’s son, Sean, suffered such a brain injury a decade ago, and held on to life until recently. The project is dedicated to helping others receive, not just adequate or good care, but the best care available to give people with brain injuries a quality of life that Dr. Galewaler said his son didn’t quite receive. “He got good care, but not as good as it could have been,” he said.

Shawn Fussell

The plans for the first center, to be built in Whitesboro, were on display Saturday. Along with that were bounce houses for the children, mechanical bulls for the young at heart, barbeque and all the trimmings, and a flatbed trailer hosting the bands.

Playing were, in order:  The Steve Ferguson Band, Stephen Pride, Olden Young, the Shawn Fussell Band, The Bois D’Arcs, Kevin Deal band, and Pake McEntire’s band.

Volunteers, in addition to the musicians, worked ahead of time to mow the pasture, create parking spaces, and on festival day to greet the festival-goers and help them park, offer first-aid, and in general keep the event running smoothly.