Christian’s Corn Stand Jam is a celebration of life for music fans.
On October 19th, 2019, local musicians and friends and family of James (Jimmy) Unger came together at North Second Tap and Bottle, and in the parking lot of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce next door, for a concert in memory of Jimmy’s son, Christian, who died by suicide on August 7th, 2019. As the family mourned, Jimmy’s niece Ashley McKinney reminded him that, through their grief, they could also celebrate Christian’s life.
At age twelve, Christian began selling Burwinkle Farm’s sweet corn at a stand located by Flub’s Dariette, which is owned by his cousin Brian Connaughton. Christian was well known to the Hamilton community, and maintained his stand for sixteen years. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia at eighteen, and spent the next ten years in treatment. Jimmy supported his son, attending psychiatric appointments with Christian at Community Behavioral Health.
As a wrestler at Ross High School, the athletic community had been an important part of Christian’s life. His family wanted to honor his memory by providing scholarships to athletes and students at Ross and other local schools. They also wanted to support an organization that focused on mental health research. Christian’s brother Drew began looking into potential candidates, and chose the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation in New York City. The Foundation provides resources to the top 200 young researchers conducting innovative, groundbreaking research in mental health. The Unger family was impressed with their low overhead costs, and felt that their money would go farthest and do the most good with this organization. Being able to support a cause that would help others like Christian who struggled with mental health conditions was as important to the family as the scholarships.
And so the idea for a fundraising concert began to flesh out. Many of those performing had known Christian personally, and offered their time without payment. Thommy Long, of Lemon Grenade Creative, designed a logo for the event, which has become a well-known symbol throughout the years of the event. In addition to music, they also had split-the-pot, and a raffle for a trip to Hilton Head to raise funds. Christian’s younger sister Maggie sold cupcakes and donated the proceeds.
The next year, the concert grew, adding a stage behind North Second Tap and Bottle. Musicians continued to donate their services, and the 2020 concert raised even more than the first year. Christian had loved music and enjoyed concerts at RiversEdge Amphitheater, and Jimmy hoped to continue growing Christian’s Corn Stand Jam with the goal of reaching the larger concert venue. As he planned for 2021, both Adam Helms, the founder of RiversEdge, and Brandon Saurber, the Director of Neighborhoods and also a local musician, were instrumental in making Jimmy’s plans a reality. Steven Timmer, formerly of the Hamilton Parks Conservancy, and Audrey Baker, the current Office Manager, have been a great help.
In 2021, an executive producer came on board. A transplant to Hamilton, Monique (Mo) Runzer began attending local concerts and events. She saw many people wearing Corn Stand Jam t-shirts and took interest, and eventually met Jimmy. At the first planning meeting she attended, her only intent was to be a volunteer. But as she learned about the mission behind the event, she saw so much potential and was inspired to play a larger role. There were about 20-25 volunteers at the meeting, and Mo was impressed with their passion and ideas. Her role became one of organizing the people and projects, giving the volunteers direction and clarifying specific roles. According to Jimmy, Mo “built the cookie cutter” for future Corn Stand Jam efforts, and took the annual event to a new level.
As the event grew, there were periods of discouragement, as Jimmy was told there was no way to grow to the size and reach that he wanted without charging for the concert. But keeping it accessible to everyone was important to him. In 2021, Shawna Noble-Smith joined the all-volunteer team, to help guide the CSJ’s non-profit efforts.
Mo introduced sponsorships to raise money for the event. Many local businesses stepped up to sponsor the Corn Stand Jam at different levels, with many benefits. Brett Wolter, Director of Photography and Video, has done video shoots for sponsors, logos are displayed at the concert, and both of these are used in social media promotion. Many sponsorships came from people or businesses who knew Christian personally. In 2022, community sponsors include IBEW 648, Humana, Spooky Nook, The 513 Hamilton, Brian Clark Century 21, Brookside Animal Hospital, Coolants Plus, The Grub Pub, Municipal Brew Works, Ohio Eagle Distributing, Casual Pint, Hamilton’s Urban Backyard, Pohlman Lanes, Richards Law Firm, and Skyline Chili.
Additionally, the 2021 concert at RiversEdge provided space for booths for local mental health resources to promote their services. This new development only strengthened the mission to support those with mental health struggles and their families.
As the Corn Stand Jam grew, many ideas were generated to increase awareness and revenue streams. In October 2021, Municipal Brew Works introduced the Corn Stand Jam Cream Ale, with part of the sales going back to the organization. The Cream Ale is now sold to many local businesses.
In 2022, the volunteer team continued to growl. Shawna Noble-Smith took on the role of volunteer coordinator. Volunteers set up booths at the city’s Juneteenth celebration, Alive After Five, Chalk It Up, and many other highly visible events around town. The team also planned several spin-off events. David Stark, Community Manager of Artspace Hamilton Lofts and Strauss Gallery, and Dean Queen organized the Corn Stand Disc Jam, a pay-to-play disc golf tournament held on July 9th at Millikin Woods, sponsored by 17 Strong, Artspace Hamilton Lofts, Hamilton Parks Conservancy, and Wraith Games. Casual Pint hosted its second annual CSJ corn hole tournament on August 13th. There will be a movie in the park on September 3rd at Marcum Park, made possible by a 17 Strong grant from the city of Hamilton. The Grub Pub is hosting a bike run on September 4th, which will include food and bands performing throughout the day. These events bring in many community members who are hearing about the Corn Stand Jam and their mission for the first time. The volunteers find incredible value in making face-to-face connections and creating opportunities to have conversations and reduce the stigma around mental health.
Mo’s dedication to the cause and expertise in social media marketing have helped make these events successful, and social media is also used to recruit volunteers, who now number in the 60s. Many of these individuals have experienced mental health issues themselves, or had family members who struggled with mental health. They come from all backgrounds and professions and range in age from teens to 65+. They are united by a passion for decreasing stigma and normalizing conversations about mental health. Acceptance is a mainstay for the team, and welcoming all types of people has been and continues to be a priority.
The scholarship fund began inviting family members who have lost loved ones to suicide to honor their memories by giving scholarships in their names. In 2022, the Corn Stand Jam awarded seven $1500 scholarships to local youth, who write essays about mental health when they apply. Christian’s fifteen year old sister, Olivia, helps review these essays.
This year’s concert will be held again at Riveredge on September 24th, from 1:00pm to 11:00pm. The bands performing will be the Inturns, CFG & the Family, Josh Lawson & the Kokotto Comeback, Frech & Co, and the Rumpke Mountain Boys. There will be a kids’ activity area, live arts demos, a silent auction, raffles, split-the-pot and more. Several food trucks and beer trucks will provide refreshments. Corn Stand Jam t-shirts and other items will be available; everyone loves their swag. Resource booths will include Envision Partnerships and their Butler County Suicide Prevention Coalition. There will be a fireworks display by Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks at the end of the night.
For four years, Jimmy Unger’s desire to honor Christian’s memory and his passion for helping people with mental health struggles has grown impacting the local music community and the larger community in general. He is now a member of the Butler County Suicide Prevention Coalition. His vision has inspired so many and brought together others who’ve lost loved ones or have been affected by their own mental health conditions. They have become a community themselves; supporting each other and working together to bring awareness to these issues, to decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness, and to promote dialogue and create conversations that continue to make a difference in our community.
Readers can follow the organization on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChristiansCornStandJam, or visit their website at www.cornstandjam.com, where they can also sign up to volunteer at the event. Businesses interested in sponsoring next year’s event can email cornstandjam@gmail.com, or call 513-805-2275. All donations are tax-deductible.