This is the 11th consecutive year for the party, which last raised year raised a record $30,500.

CANTON  It promises to be a warm night of sweet nostalgia, dancing, pizza and beer in the dead of winter. And for such a worthy cause.

On Friday, two of Stark Country's enduringly popular bands, Jimmy & the Soul Blazers and LaFlavour, will team at Canton Memorial Civic Center for a festive dance party to benefit Canton Ex-Newsboys Charities. Money raised will be used to purchase coats, shoes and clothing for needy children in Stark County.

This is the 11th consecutive year for the party, which last raised year raised a record $30,500.

"One hundred percent of every donation goes straight to the kids," said Jim Purses, Ex-Newsboys president. "We're all volunteers, we don't collect salaries."

For a $30 ticket, those attending receive four hours of live dance music from the two bands, unlimited Pizza Oven pizza, beer and wine, and free parking.

Fun night

"It's probably one of the coolest, funnest jobs we play all year," said Craig Debock, saxophonist and vocalist of LaFlavour. "It's a great charity, and La Flavour and having Jimmy & the Soul Blazers playing side by side, trading sets, I don't think it can get much better. To be up on that stage with 1,500 to 1,700 people dancing away, it's just awesome."

"We have a lot of fun doing this with LaFlavour. Over the years, people have looked at us as competitors, but it's always been respectful, friendly competition," said Jimmy Korleski, vocalist and bandleader of Jimmy & the Soul Blazers. "Having us together was a great idea. They have a following, we have a following and everybody comes together. From the moment the music starts, people are out on the floor dancing continually. There's such good vibes going through the whole hall."

"We can't wait to get there and greet each other," Debock said about the two bands.

"It's like a big family reunion," Korleski said. "We're all friends who don't get to see each other very much because we're both working."

The warm camaraderie between LaFlavour and Jimmy & the Soul Blazers can be traced to their shared history on the local scene. Both bands started about 50 years ago, playing area nightspots and school dances as teenagers. LaFlavour was formed at Washington High School in Massillon, the Soul Blazers at Alliance High School (although Korleski attended Canton Central Catholic.)

What to expect

LaFlavour will have six members onstage while the Soul Blazers will have 10, including a three-piece horn section. "We are more of a variety band, starting (musically) in the '50s right up to today. We play Bruno Mars," Debock said. "Jimmy is more of a Motown-style soul band."

Jimmy and the Soul Blazers will start the show off at 7 p.m. with an hour-long set, followed immediately by LaFlavour for an hour, then Jimmy and LaFlavour for another hour each. Each band is set up on one side of the stage, making for seamless transitions.

This January charity event for the Ex-Newsboys was started in 2007 by the late Joe "Junior" DiPietro, owner of the Pizza Oven and Papa Bear's.

"He had the idea of starting a big dance and it just took off and it's been great every year since," Purses said. "He did so much for the Ex-Newsboys."

Although DiPietro died last February at age 82, his wife Georgia and children Dave, Steve, Ron, Jerry and Stephanie "wanted to keep this going in Junior's memory," Purses said. "We're grateful for what the DiPietro family does for us." The event is presented by Pizza Oven Charities.

Purses estimates that in the past year, the Ex-Newsboys Charities have purchased about $150,000 in clothing for area children from J.C. Penney. In addition to the annual dance party, the organization raises money from other fundraisers including golf outings, from direct contributions, and for the past two years a $40,000 community development grant from the city of Canton.

For more information on the group, visit: cantonexnewies.com.

Reach Dan at 330-580-8306 or dan.kane@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @dkaneREP