From the soothing sounds of an ancient Chinese zither to the swinging jazz of Pete Knotek and Berkeley Fudge, Saturday night's concert at Horlick High School is bound to offer something for everyone. Also on the program of this special event are vocal and bell choirs; excerpts from a moving musical theater production; and Palestinian dances performed in traditional dress.

What brings this diverse collection of local and regional entertainment together for one night in Racine is the desire to help the children of Gaza - a narrow, 25-mile-long strip of land in western Palestine. Saturday night's Concert to Support the Children of Gaza, which is sponsored by the Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice, is designed to create awareness of and support for the plight of children and families in Gaza who are recovering from a destructive invasion of their territory almost six months ago.

In December 2008 and January of this year, Israel attacked Gaza in a 22-day-long air and land strike that left more than 1,400 people dead and more than 5,000 wounded. Homes, businesses and farmland were destroyed and a blockade imposed by Israel on the people of Gaza has left survivors with very little access to much-needed medical supplies, clean water and food, according to the RCPJ.

Israel claimed the attacks were in response to attacks from and arms smuggling by the Palestinian organization Hamas. During the conflict, Hamas returned fire against Israel.

The concert - which will also feature a dramatic presentation by Sr. Pat Chaffee, a Racine Dominican who recently returned from a trip to Gaza - is free. Those attending will be able to make donations to any of three nonprofit organizations which are helping the people of Gaza by supplying them with food, medical supplies and counseling services, according to Elaine M. Kinch, a member of the RCPJ concert planning committee. Informational tables representing each organization will be set up in the lobby during the show's intermission, Kinch explained.

Those organizations are: Kinder USA (Kids in Need of Development, Education, and Relief), http://www.kinderusa.org; the UUSC (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee) Gaza Humanitarian Crisis Fund, working in conjunction with American Friends Service Committee and YouthBank, http://www.uusc.org (search word, Gaza); and ANERA (American Near East Refugee Aid), http://www.anera.org

Kinch, who has also spent time in Palestine, said that she was devastated when she heard the news of Israel's attack.

"When something like that happens, you don't know what to do at first," she said.

She and the rest of the five-person committee decided to organize the concert benefit based on the RCPJ's previous success with a similar event they held in 2003 to benefit victims of the war in Iraq. Donations at the earlier concert, which featured everything from flamenco dancers to a gospel choir, totaled $4,560 for that cause, Kinch said.

This time around the RCPJ decided to jump-start the benefit by seeking donations from area

businesses and organizations in advance of the concert. They have already raised approximately $2,500, Kinch said.

"We have a great start," she said.

For Chaffee, who spent five days in Gaza in June as part of the Code Pink: Women for Peace project, Saturday's performance will be a chance to share what she learned about the people of Gaza first-hand. The monologue she will read is based on true stories she heard from victims of the attack.

"I'll be doing the monologue in the person of a woman from Gaza who has lost her home, her husband and other family members, and is telling her story to a reporter from the BBC," Chaffee said.

"You can't really imagine what it is like (in Gaza) until you get there and talk to the people and see the devastation. Whole villages have been leveled."

Add to that the heavy burden that Israel's blockade has place on the people of Gaza by limiting their access to supplies and it is no wonder that some are having difficulty getting motivated to rebuild, she said.

While many of the stories Chaffee heard in Gaza were heart-wrenching and tragic, she said she also saw and heard signs of hope and resilience among the people there. Their determination to go on comes from their belief that Palestine is essential to who they are, she explained.

Chaffee and the rest of the performers are donating their time and talent to the cause Saturday night. Others will include:

• Pete Knotek and Berkeley Fudge (jazz): Pianist Knotek, of Racine, studied with Tony King and performs regularly with Manty Ellis in the Milwaukee area. Fudge, is a veteran saxophonist who has appeared with Sonny Stitt, Lena Horne, Roland Kirk, The Impressions, The O'Jays, Thelma Houston, Lonnie Smith and more. A Wisconsin Conservatory of Music faculty member since 1972, he is also the leader of the Berkeley Fudge Quartet, and a member of We Six.

• Suying Lu (Chinese zither): Suying Lu will play the Guzheng, a plucked string

instrument that is part of the zither family.

It is one of the most ancient Chinese

musical instruments and is considered one of the main chamber and solo instruments

of Chinese traditional music.

• The Horlick Players (musical theater): These southeastern Wisconsin high school theater students will perform excerpts from "Parade," a powerful musical written by Jason Robert Brown which tells the true tale of a Jewish factory manager, Leo Frank, who was accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old employee, and the 1913 trial in Atlanta, Ga. (as well as the lynching of Frank) that resulted from those accusations.

• Siena Bell Choir and Siena Choir: These two groups, from the Siena Center, will each perform several selections including a Trumpet Voluntary performed by the two-octave Bell Choir.

• Sanabel AlQuds Dabka Dancers: This Milwaukee-based group of young dancers, ages 10 through high school, will perform dynamic Palestinian dances, wearing authentic embroidered costumes.

• An educational display, featuring artwork created by children in Gaza, will also be available.