Great music for a great cause forms the heart of Eau Claire's Fifth Annual Ragtime Festival. The event takes places January 9-11, 2004, at First Congregational United Church of Christ (310 Broadway St., Eau Claire) and other local venues.

Renowned performers from around the country will perform a variety of styles: ragtime, novelty, stride, early jazz, blues and boogie-woogie. The event will feature three headlining performers and fifteen related events.

The family-friendly entertainment runs the gamut from silent films to sing-alongs, a spaghetti dinner and vaudeville show, a symposium, a multimedia presentation, and a display of period dress.

This festival, like those in previous years, raises money for a worthy cause. Proceeds will benefit the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic, which provides basic health care and medication to clients who otherwise would go without, lacking their own resources or insurance.

Featured performers will be Bob Milne of La Peer, Mich., Tony Caramia of Rochester, New York, and Alex Sandor of Superior, Wis. They will perform in three different, fast-paced concerts. Each concert will be preceded by a half-hour "pre-concert" featuring regional players with the co-sponsoring Chippewa Valley, Lake Superior and Central Wisconsin Ragtime Societies.

Milne is a full-time touring artist specializing in saloon ragtime, blues, boogie-woogie and Southern gospel styles. Caramia is Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at the prestigious Eastman School of Music. He is considered the leading novelty-style ragtime performer. Sandor is known for his energetic interpretation of Scott Joplin's rags and the hard-driving Harlem Stride style.

The festival kicks off at 3 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2004. The weekend concludes with Bob Milne's Piano/Pool Exhibition at the Masonic Lodge Auditorium in downtown Eau Claire at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 11. In between, there is a full slate of events; check the festival Web site for complete information.

Chippewa Valley Ragtime Society founder Jim Radloff, the festival's organizing committee chair, says, "This will be a fun, entertaining weekend for 'children of all ages.' The performers' unique styles complement one another. With the proceeds going to benefit a local charitable entity, it's a win-win proposition for all concerned. In our first four years, over $20,000 was given to Community Table, Beacon House, Habitat for Humanity and Feed My People."

"Each year more of our guests tell us they eagerly anticipate the next festival," comments Radloff. Tickets are available through the office of First Congregational United Church of Christ or by downloading a form from the festival Web site. The church's newly renovated sanctuary, community room and state-of-the-art sound system will enable its grand piano to be used for all concerts.

For more information, contact Jim Radloff of the Chippewa Valley Ragtime Society via e-mail at cvragtime@earthlink.net or by phone at 715-834-6897. The phone number for First Congregational UCC is 715-834-2668.