Springfield native and Atlantic recording artist Aaron Lewis, lead singer of Staind, will appear at the Hall of Fame's "Celebration of Basketball" on "Children's Day," Tuesday, August 10th

Aaron Lewis, lead singer of Staind, will appear at the Basketball Hall of Fame's "Center Court" at Noon on August 10th to speak about the importance of education and his "It Takes a Community Foundation." The Atlantic recording artist will conduct a "Q&A Session" with fans then play a two-song acoustic set to promote his upcoming benefit concert.

To mark the occasion, the Hall will provide each fan who attends the August 14^th “Aaron Lewis & Friends” benefit concert -- benefitting the It Takes A Community Foundation at The Pines Theatre at Look Park (Northampton, Mass) with a ticket for free admission to the Hall of Fame museum to be used in the month of August, 2010. Partnering with ITAC, the Hall will donate athletic equipment to the Community Education Center in Worthington, MA, the initial community project the ITAC Foundation will benefit.

The It Takes A Community Foundation was founded by Lewis and his wife, Vanessa, with a focus on reviving rural communities throughout greater New England. The charity works with local leaders and community organizations that have firsthand knowledge of the needs of their communities.  It strives to raise funds and support community groups who strengthen, engage and enrich the communities while providing assistance to communities in crisis.

With his honest, heartfelt lyrics, resounding guitar chords, and unmistakable voice, Aaron Lewis has led Staind to the forefront of American rock music.  The Illusion of Progress, released in 2008, marked the band's fourth consecutive studio album to debut in the Top Three on the Billboard 200 and features the #1 alternative rock song, "Believe."  The iconic hard rock group's decade-long career has seen worldwide album sales in excess of 13 million and five #1 singles spanning three different radio formats. 

"I'm so honored that the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has chosen to partner with me and the It Takes A Community Foundation to support our local community,” said Lewis.  “I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for the organization for recognizing the need that ITAC strives to fill, and its willingness to help us achieve our shared goal of giving our kids the tools they need at an early age to achieve great things later on."

"We are thrilled to have Aaron Lewis and his foundation join the Basketball Hall of Fame's "Celebration of Basketball" festivities and we thank him for his participation at our "Children's Day" on August 10th," said Paul Lambert, Vice President, Guest Experience & Programming for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "As a Springfield native, Aaron Lewis values the interconnection between basketball, music and education in our community.  He has been working arduously through his "It Takes a Community" foundation to stress the importance of education and help improve opportunities for youth in our region."

For entry, normal Hall of Fame admission will need to be purchased by fans. There will be no additional charge to view the event which will run between Noon and 1pm on August 10.