Charity doesn’t just begin at home.

There are always plenty of opportunities to go out on the town in Kitsap County, from attending plays and concerts to dining and dancing, or just strolling along the water at one of the many aptly named Waterfront Parks — every town has one it seems.

There are also many opportunities for that night out to benefit others who may not be as fortunate. There are three concerts this weekend that bill themselves as benefits, with proceeds raised going to worthy causes.

Rock the Woods for Melanoma Research — the name says it all, but doesn’t tell the whole story. This benefit concert Friday night at the swanky McCormick Woods Golf Course in Port Orchard promises to be a good time, with music for the outdoor concert provided by No Quarter, a rockin’ Led Zepplin tribute band.

It was organized by a woman who has a very personal interest in the subject of melanoma research, Coreen Haydock Johnson. Her childhood sweetheart and husband Randy Johnson died of malignant melanoma four and a half years ago. Within weeks of his death this caring woman was reaching out to others, spreading the word about this deadly disease and raising money to wipe it off the face of the earth.

Through annual golf tournaments hosted by the foundation she started, the Randy G. Johnson Golf Memorial, she has raised more than $60,000 for melanoma research. With the concert she hopes to reach a larger, more varied audience with her message about the importance of prevention and early detection.

See the complete story on page 11 for concert details.

It’s been nearly a year since hurricanes hammered Louisiana and Mississippi, but the area still has a long, long way to go toward recovery. To that end, people across the nation are still holding benefit concerts to aid the victims, many of whom are still homeless and jobless.

Locally, the Community Congregational Church in Suquamish is holding a benefit concert Saturday night featuring the Total Experience Gospel Choir, from Seattle. The choir is going to make a trip to the South the end of this month, and will disburse the funds raised at this and other concerts to those displaced by the hurricanes.

If you’re looking for a good old-fashioned gospel music experience, this is the concert to catch. Led by the effervescent Pastor Pat Wright, the choir’s music has been called “jump-for-joy glory,” and with music that “stirs the heart as it moves the feet.”

The concert will be held 7 p.m. July 15 at the church, 18732 Division St., Suquamish. Admission is by donation.

If you can’t attend but would still like to donate to the choir’s hurricane relief efforts, you can send donations to CBE Charities Enterprises, P.O. Box 22776, Seattle, WA 98112.

Everyone knows how high medical costs have gotten, even for those covered by medical insurance. Imagine not being covered, or being told that services you or your family desperately needed, such as X-rays or dental care, were not covered under your insurance plan?

Such is the case for many — too many — families and individuals in Kitsap County.

Peninsula Community Health Services is working to fill that gap through the Dr. Edwin G. Tegenfeldt Patient Care Fund, which works to provide prescription medications, X-rays, lab services and other medical needs to low-income, uninsured and underserved children and adults in Kitsap and Grays Harbor counties.

You can contribute to this worthy cause by dancing the night away. The non-profit Peninsula Community Health Services is hosting its fifth annual Care to Jazz benefit Friday night in Silverdale.

The event takes place from 5:30-10:30 p.m. at the Silverdale Beach Hotel, formerly the Red Lion Inn, on Bucklin Hill Road.

Ward Colignon will provide musical accompaniment for a buffet dinner, the Jake Bergevin and the Javatown Swing Orchestra take over with upbeat swinging tunes.

The Seattle-based group performs tunes from the 1930s to the 1970s, with its own sassy, classy style. The group manages a big band sound with far fewer performers and the retro stage setting and period attire contribute the feel of a night out at classic dance club. Brush up on your Lindy Hop, you’re gonna need it.

The event also features a live and silent auction, with local comedian The Great Cris serving as auctioneer.

Tickets for the event are $50 per person or $500 for a table of 10. Semi-formal or business attire is suggested. To purchase tickets call (360) 478-2366.

It’s easy to spend $50 on a nice dinner with drinks, why not feel good about helping others, too?

Kitsap Beat is a weekly feature of What’s Up. Address questions or comments to Marcie Miller at: mmiller@northkitsapherald.com or (360) 779-4464.