Raise a glass at concert Monday to aid ailing bartender
Sandpiper Lounge bar owners and brothers Chip and Chuck Harrell will be serving up altruism with drinks Monday night during a benefit to support Matt Schwirtz, the lounge’s bartender and doorman for nearly a dozen years.
Have a Heart Fundraiser will feature musical acts beginning at 6 p.m. Money to help Schwirtz and his family with medical bills while he recovers from major heart surgeries will be raised through a raffle and silent auction, as well as a $20 donation required at the door.
According to a page on the crowdfunding website GiveForward.com, Schwirtz — who could not be reached for comment — developed severe complications after open heart surgery and learned that he has a rare mycobacterium eating the tissue in and around his sternum. He will be in and out of the hospital for the next several months.
“We’re trying to raise money so he doesn’t have to come back for a while,” Chuck Harrell said Monday. “He works regularly when he can, but now he’s had to stop completely.”
Harrell talked to Kevin Leon Smith, member of the reggae band Coming of Sage, which performs every second Monday of the month, and asked if a concert held on Monday could help Schwirtz. Smith said yes.
“It was a no-brainer,” Smith said Thursday. “It was all heart, no brain. I wanted to help this good friend and co-worker.”
Smith, who has performed at the Sandpiper for 26 years with his other act, World Anthem Band, said once he learned that Schwirtz was sick, he wanted to help.
“He’s a strong, honest person,” said Smith. “A great guy with a cool sense of a humor. A gentle giant.”
The music entertainment for the cause grew.
Acts to follow are Laguna band Common Sense, rock and reggae bands Local Remedy and Massive McGregor, and alternative folk singer Anesha Rose.
Rose created a “Have a Heart Fundraiser” Facebook page to enable the public to learn about donating to the bar’s raffle and silent auction. As of Thursday, almost 100 people had indicated that they would attend.
“This is gonna be a great event,” wrote Grant Harrell, Chuck’s son. “Get all your friends to come hang out, have some good drinks, listen to some great music and gather for a great cause.”
Smith said art pieces will be among the prizes awarded during the event.
He described Schwirtz as a man with love “pouring out for him.”
Chuck Harrell said he wanted to host a family fundraiser since Schwirtz and other longtime employees are considered more than just members of the staff.
The family-run business has attracted crowds since it opened in 1942. Nicknamed the “Dirty Bird,” the dive bar hasn’t changed much in its 73 years. The lounge that was once a post for World War II Marines has patches from different services hung on its walls.
“Matt is a great bartender and he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t,” said Harrell. “He’s been really great for us.”
If You Go
What: Have a Heart Fundraiser
When: 6 p.m. Monday
Where: Sandpiper Lounge, 1183 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach
Information: (949) 494-4694