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PITTSBURG —
“A Dirty Pair of Genes” will get an airing tonight during a benefit for Steve VanLeeuwen at St. Michael’s Parish Hall, Girard.
Live entertainment and a pig roast are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., with free will donations accepted, followed by an auction at 7:30 p.m.
Gene Bicknell and Gene Strasser, the pair of Genes, have been performing together for years. That has slowed down since 2003, when Bicknell, entrepreneur, philanthropist and formerly the world’s largest Pizza Hut franchisee, pretty much moved to Florida.
Then Strasser recently called Bicknell and told him that VanLeeuwen, a friend of both men, had been diagnosed with lung cancer that spread to his brain. A benefit was being planned, and Strasser was going to participate.
“I came back from Florida just to do this for Steve,” Bicknell said Friday during a practice session with Strasser. “Steve called me this morning. It’s a terrible ordeal he’s going through and he’s pretty weak, but he said he’s going to try to be at the benefit.”
Bicknell said that he and Strasser were planning a couple of hours of entertainment.
“We’ll sing ‘America’ as we start out, and ‘Angels Among Us’ when we thank the people who are helping Steve,” he said. “We’ll try to get people to sing along with us. I’ve just finished an album titled ‘Old Shep’ and I’ll sing some songs from it, and Gene will sing some of his songs.”
He said that he and Strasser also made a comedy CD that is being distributed by Allegro Entertainment of Seattle.
“I’ve been doing some shows for Wounded Warriors, and did one in Orlando with about 700 there,” Bicknell said. “I’ve got an agent in Los Angeles. Strasser says it’s time we made the big time since we’re getting younger.”
“A Dirty Pair of Genes,” a disreputable duo they invented a few decades ago, will make a visit to the parish hall during the show.
“I guarantee laughs galore,” Bicknell said. “I’m just honored to share a stage with Gene Strasser, and honored that Tim Letchworth, Cherokee, has
volunteered his technical services to help us out.”
There’s one more important thing Bicknell plans to include in his part of the benefit.
“I’m also going to spend some time talking about what a fine man Steve VanLeeuwen is,” he said.
“A Dirty Pair of Genes” will get an airing tonight during a benefit for Steve VanLeeuwen at St. Michael’s Parish Hall, Girard.
Live entertainment and a pig roast are scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., with free will donations accepted, followed by an auction at 7:30 p.m.
Gene Bicknell and Gene Strasser, the pair of Genes, have been performing together for years. That has slowed down since 2003, when Bicknell, entrepreneur, philanthropist and formerly the world’s largest Pizza Hut franchisee, pretty much moved to Florida.
Then Strasser recently called Bicknell and told him that VanLeeuwen, a friend of both men, had been diagnosed with lung cancer that spread to his brain. A benefit was being planned, and Strasser was going to participate.
“I came back from Florida just to do this for Steve,” Bicknell said Friday during a practice session with Strasser. “Steve called me this morning. It’s a terrible ordeal he’s going through and he’s pretty weak, but he said he’s going to try to be at the benefit.”
Bicknell said that he and Strasser were planning a couple of hours of entertainment.
“We’ll sing ‘America’ as we start out, and ‘Angels Among Us’ when we thank the people who are helping Steve,” he said. “We’ll try to get people to sing along with us. I’ve just finished an album titled ‘Old Shep’ and I’ll sing some songs from it, and Gene will sing some of his songs.”
He said that he and Strasser also made a comedy CD that is being distributed by Allegro Entertainment of Seattle.
“I’ve been doing some shows for Wounded Warriors, and did one in Orlando with about 700 there,” Bicknell said. “I’ve got an agent in Los Angeles. Strasser says it’s time we made the big time since we’re getting younger.”
“A Dirty Pair of Genes,” a disreputable duo they invented a few decades ago, will make a visit to the parish hall during the show.
“I guarantee laughs galore,” Bicknell said. “I’m just honored to share a stage with Gene Strasser, and honored that Tim Letchworth, Cherokee, has
volunteered his technical services to help us out.”
There’s one more important thing Bicknell plans to include in his part of the benefit.
“I’m also going to spend some time talking about what a fine man Steve VanLeeuwen is,” he said.
The benefit is being planned and coordinated by St. Michael’s Parish. That’s one thing Gerald Butler, one of the planners, wants to make perfectly clear.
“It’s not just one group in the parish doing this, it’s everyone working together to put this on,” Butler said. “The family is also helping with this.
VanLeeuwen, who recently turned 60, has six children, four daughters and two sons. They are Jay VanLeeuwen, Mary Johnstun, Blake VanLeeuwen, Kristen Graham, Autumn VanLeeuwen and Chelsea VanLeeuwen. His wife is Deanne VanLeeuwen.
“Dad is from St. Paul originally, then went to Brazilton and we’re all graduates of Girard High School,” said daughter Kristen Graham.
Strasser said that he and his wife knew VanLeeuwen during their high school days in St. Paul.
“He was a few years behind us,” Strasser said.
VanLeeuwen worked as a carpenter.
“He built several houses in Crawford County,” said son Blake VanLeeuwen.
“Dad is very proud of those houses he built, and will show you pictures of them,” Graham added.
The benefit will include a raffle and auction.
“We’ve had a lot of generous big items donated for the auction, too many to list all of them,” Graham said.
Included are Kansas City Chiefs-Raiders tickets, Kansas State University football tickets, a football signed by Bill Snyder and numerous local gift cards and certificates.
Bicknell will provide lots of CDs as well as show tickets from Branson, Mo., where he owns the Mansion.
Butler noted that many, many people from all walks of life have volunteered their assistance with the benefit because they want to help VanLeeuwen in any way they can.
“I think that shows Steve has meant a lot to a lot of people,” Butler said.
