MOUNT GREENWOOD — Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame ... only this time it has nothing to do with football.
The Fighting Irish football team will be on hand for WeishFest 2015. Pronounced "Wish" Fest, this musical fundraiser will take place from noon to midnight July 18 at Standard Bank Stadium, 14011 Kenton Ave. in south suburban Crestwood.
The team will greet attendees at 3 p.m. in support of fellow teammate Nic Weishar. The 235-pound graduate of Marist High School in Mount Greenwood is expected to play special teams this year for the Irish and will likely see some action along the goal line as a tight end.
WeishFest is held in honor of Nic Weishar's oldest brother Andrew. Also a standout football player, Andrew Weishar, 21, died after a three-year battle with colorectal cancer on Oct. 12, 2012.
The Andrew Weishar Foundation was created shortly after the death of the eldest of the three Weishar brothers. The nonprofit organization aims to help other families stricken with cancer by providing financial assistance during treatment.
“Words cannot express how excited we are to welcome the Notre Dame football team to this great event. We are humbled by their generosity and kindness," said Dan Weishar, the executive director of the foundation named for his older brother.
Dan Weishar came up with the idea for WeishFest soon after his brother died. Andrew Weishar was a defensive lineman at Brother Rice High School and Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.
Throughout his battle with cancer, friends and family rallied around Andrew Weishar. This was the inspiration for creating the daylong music festival. It's the only fundraiser for the Midlothian-based foundation.
“During his fight, Andrew asked very little of us. However, before he passed, the one request Andrew had for my family and I was to 'pay forward' the kindness and generosity that we received from so many during those three years," Dan Weishar said.
WeishFest will be headlined this year by Eddie Money and Warrant. Also taking the stage will be the Chicago 6, a band featuring former members of the 1985 Chicago Bears including Dan Hampton, Otis Wilson and Steve McMichael.
Other acts include Jeff Jacobs from Foreigner/Billy Joel, Silvergun, The Hunter Smith Band, Strung Out and South Side favorites Sean & Charlie.
Tickets to WeishFest start at $25. For more information, visit www.weishfest.com/tickets.
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