When two treasured Michigan rock bands took the stage on World Humanitarian Day, their Americana-infused performances struck a chord for people around the world who had lost everything.
Roosevelt Diggs and Nicholas James and the Bandwagon sang and strummed throughout the 4th Annual Rotary Rocks for ShelterBox, hosted by the Rotary Club of Rockford, Michigan.
The event supported ShelterBox, which delivers life-saving supplies to families displaced by disaster and conflict. Earlier this summer, the United Nations released heartbreaking, record-breaking figures showing that 123.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, including families in Sudan, Gaza, and Myanmar.
“It opened my eyes to the needs in the world,” said concert founder and Rockford Rotarian Todd Olson. “For us, there was nothing sweeter than having a great time for a great cause—ShelterBox.”
ShelterBox provided vital aid including tents, solar lights, cookware sets, repair kits, and water filters to people who had lost their homes due to disasters, conflict, and climate change.
“If you focused only on the headlines, the world felt like a big and scary place,” said Nicholas James. “The problem was not a lack of resources—it was our clumsy distribution system. What worked was people helping people at a grassroots level. Organizations like ShelterBox were on the ground helping families get emergency shelter.”
Members of Roosevelt Diggs also praised ShelterBox, which earned a 100 percent rating from Charity Navigator. Despite the name, there was no Roosevelt or Diggs—the band was anchored by brothers Logan and Levi Duddles.
“It was easy to put on blinders and focus on first-world problems in your own life or region,” said Logan Duddles, singer and guitarist. “This event was a powerful reminder of how many people were displaced and in immediate need. The concert gave people a way to be part of the solution by fundraising for ShelterBox.”
Olson said he was motivated to support ShelterBox after seeing Ukraine in flames following the Russian invasion. After a ShelterBox presentation at his Rotary club, he brought in concert co-founders Derek Reed and Kevin VanderWoude to help grow the idea.
What began as a grassroots effort had grown into a roots-rock celebration, drawing an estimated 1,500 attendees who leapt from their lawn chairs to dance. The concert took place at the Garden Club Park bandshell, where blues, folk, rockabilly, country, and more blended into an evening of music and purpose.
“It is a cool outdoor venue,” James said. “The remodeled stage, the landscaping, the park by the river—people in Rockford really loved live music.”
“We truly felt happy to be part of bringing people together for a good cause,” Logan Duddles added.
Band members and organizers alike described the Rotary Rocks vibe as happiness, joy, dancing, and more dancing.
“I had been looking forward to that night,” Olson said. “We had a great time—and I was right out front, dancing.”
