Fifty-four years ago something really good happened to Port Huron’s Mid City Nutrition program. Mark Rucker was born, and it would become his passion to play beautiful music and his dream to help the less fortunate in our community. Better known in the area as Alice’s Soup Kitchen, Mid City Nutrition helps to feed most of those less fortunate ones…for some, meals at Alice’s are their only meals. Mark believes, we as a community need to work together to help support Alice’s fight against hunger.  From the beginning, Mark enjoyed creating his own songs. Through the 1970s and 80s, he found himself involved with several different bands and musicians, but his desire to create forced him out of the music scene for the 1990s and into the new millennium. In 2005, his desire to do good with his music drove him back into performing. 2005 and 2006 saw benefit concerts to raise money for Toys for Tots. In 2007. Mark’s generosity rose to a new level when he was able to, out of his own pocket, rent the Mcmorran to again raise money for Toys for Tots. The following year, he again rented the Mcmorran facility to stage a performance to raise money for Toys for Tots and the American Cancer Society.   

Misfortune hit Mark in 2009 when, after 20 years he found himself in the unemployment lines. Unable to afford the cost of the Mcmorran, and without a different facility available in which to hold the Silent Dream Show, Mark was forced to once again put his dream on the  shelf. After a string of great performances and large donations being raised, Mark could not sit back and allow his dream to fade.

THEY ARE BACK! The Fire Starters Silent Dream Show will once again take place within the walls of the Mcmorran Place. This year the proceeds will go directly to Mid City Nutrition and Alice’s Soup Kitchen. The dream is alive and we can all be a part of it. All it takes it a couple hours of your time on November 3, 2012. There are 2 shows, one at 3pm and one at 7pm. You can make a difference in your community, all you have to do is come and enjoy the show.

–written by Wendy at Travel America