As part of a continuing effort to help a local teen with lymphoblastic leukemia, an up-and-coming artist will perform next Saturday at City Auditorium.

Sean McConnell, a Boston native who has written songs recorded by Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley, has agreed to play for free.

If you go

The Kyle Coleson Foundation is hosting the Rollin’ on the River Siege of Leukemia benefit concert at 6 p.m. June 20 at the City Auditorium. The band Slap Happy will open for musician Sean McConnell at the all-ages event. Country Junction and Goldie’s Express will provide food, and Brown Bottling Group will supply drinks. T-shirts are available now and will be sold at the concert for $12. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Shirts and tickets are available at Muirhead Insurance, 2000 Clay St., and BancorpSouth, 820 South St. or by calling Vicksburg Main Street at 601-634-4527. For other information, visit the Kyle Coleson Foundation at www.facebook.com or contact Candice Park at 601-529-0018 or candice_prk@yahoo.com or Ashley Baker at 601-218-0506 or ashbake21@gmail.com.

It all started with a handful of people who wanted to help 18-year-old Kyle Coleson, his mother, Lisa, and 14-year-old brother, Cody, who has a mild form of cerebral palsy. Since early March, that group has grown to 500- plus people.

“We just wanted to try to do anything we could to help Kyle out, and we knew the community would be happy to do it,” said Coleson’s cousin Dan Muirhead.

Muirhead and friends Candice Park and Ashley Baker came up with a cookout — they would grill in Baker’s backyard, have local bands perform and invite friends and family to come and donate to the Kyle Coleson Foundation, a nonprofit set up to take donations for the family. But the cookout soon became something bigger.

Muirhead’s mother, Shanna, — Coleson’s aunt — has a relative who works for Warner/Chappell Music in Nashville and connected the planners to musician McConnell.

“I got the opportunity to go and be a part of it and raise awareness and just help any way I could,” McConnell said.

A bigger headliner meant a bigger stage, so the event was moved to City Auditorium. Slap Happy, a local band, will open for McConnell.

“It started out small and it grew and grew, and now it’s a really big concert,” Park said.

With the help of sponsors, the planners were able to cover start-up costs and put the event in motion. Park, Baker and the Muirheads have been working to fill the 1,000-person venue — so far they’ve sold about 500 tickets.

“It’s a testament to how much people have really come to support (Kyle) and really keep him in their prayers,” Dan Muirhead said. “He’s had a tough time, but he’s made it because of all the support that he’s had, and I think he’d tell you that.”

Kyle was diagnosed with leukemia in September. He attended Vicksburg High School this past year and had been a student at St. Aloysius High School. Students there sold “Prayers for Kyle” bracelets for $5 this past school year.

Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15 or in advance for $10 at various locations. T-shirts are $12 and are being designed by Warren Central High School student Turner Reeves, 17, the son of Keith Reeves and Marnie Farrell. The “Siege of Leukemia” shirt plays off Vicksburg’s Civil War history and shows two “USS Cure” gunboats firing at a red blood cell, a reference to the cancer.

Local restaurants and vendors are providing food and drinks, and local businesses have donated gift certificates and other items to be raffled for $1 at the concert.

“It was overwhelming at times, but the reward at the end will be well worth it,” Park said. “I really want to see people out there to support Kyle and to support his family and to support all the other kids going through the same thing.”

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Contact Andrea Vasquez at avasquez@vicksburgpost.com