When an Oro Valley couple lost their son, PJ Quinn, to osteosarcoma four years ago, they decided to transform their grief into goodness. The result is the Annual Rockin’ 4 Heroes Concert to honor first responders and others who give selflessly to the community.
“This huge loss in our family was the brainchild for the concert,” said Bonnie Quinn, co-founder of the concert with her husband, Michael. “God put it on our hearts to give back to the community of first responders who gave our son such compassionate care and served him so well.”
Bonnie emphasized that they also developed the free concert to pull people together, which was particularly important after the stress of COVID.
“We made it free because we wanted to include as many people as possible,” she said. “Music is such a great unifier, and it was either do something like Rockin’ 4 Heroes or crawl under our blankets and not come out. This was a way to make something positive out of our loss and it has carried us through our grief. It has given us a sense of impacting people and is a very good thing.”
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That impact extends beyond first responders to members of the military, veterans and Gold Star families (those who have lost an immediate family member while serving in the military).
The four groups comprise the “4” in Rockin’ 4 Heroes. All of the causes resonate with the Quinns — Michael is a Navy veteran — and with concert headliner Lexington Lab Band, which is known for its iconic ’80s cover songs. Michael said that the great music combines with a compelling purpose for a one-of-a-kind charity event that has grown each year.
“We wanted to go big and go public with our support,” he said. “We also want people to know that 98 percent of all that we raise goes right back to heroes. We are all about acknowledging them or supporting them financially through various initiatives.”
The Annual Rockin’ 4 Heroes Concert honors first responders, members of the military, veterans and Gold Star families.
Proceeds from the event benefit the Hero Fund, which supports like-minded causes, including spiritual care and aid for police families through services at Strength & Shield; service dog training and support for disabled veterans through Dogs4Vets; construction of the Arizona Heroes Memorial; childcare, counseling, support groups and other resources that promote long-term wellness of first responder and active duty military families through the Erik Hite Foundation; services and support for veterans through the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association; and scholarship opportunities for those considering careers in public service.
“We want to raise awareness in the community about those who serve us through the military, law enforcement, fire and other types of public service. We want to inspire young people to consider these careers, since they are often off the radar,” Michael said.
This year, the Hero Fund launched the Rockin’ 4 Heroes Jacob Dindinger Memorial Scholarship, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) endowment scholarship through the Pima Foundation at Pima Community College (PCC). The scholarship fund will provide training for two students every year to honor Dindinger, a 2020 graduate of PCC’s Public Safety Program.
The 20-year-old, who was determined to become a firefighter like his older brother, had been an EMT for only a few months when he was shot and killed while supporting first responders on a call in July 2021.
“Jacob knew that he was being called to be a firefighter,” said Corrine Dindinger, Jacob’s mother. “It was like he woke up one day and said, ‘I know what I want to do.’ That is why this scholarship fund is so neat. It is a requirement for all firefighters and paramedics to be an EMT. You have to start with an EMT certification, so that course blossoms into multiple careers.”
She encourages anyone interested in a career as a first responder or in the medical field to consider applying for the scholarship and using the course as a springboard to achieve their dreams.
“The scholarship fund is for that particular course, but really the most important thing is that it goes to someone deserving with passion and need. Jacob’s endgame wasn’t an EMT. He wanted to turn it into more coursework to become a firefighter,” Corrine said.
Ultimately, Corrine and her husband, James, are thrilled about the scholarship’s potential to facilitate their son’s desire to help others, and they credit the Quinns for bringing it to fruition.
“It is mind-blowing,” she said. “I give them and their organization all the credit. This was something my husband and I thought about and wanted to do early on after Jacob was killed, but we didn’t have the bandwidth or know exactly how to go about it. So when Bonnie called me about it, we said to count us in. This is exactly what we want in his name.”
For the Dindingers and the Quinns, Rockin’ 4 Heroes has also become representative of the good in the world — and the power of possibilities when people come together.
“We have strong faith and God put this on our hearts and has put so many good people into our lives ... there are so many generous, talented people who want to volunteer and help,” said Michael.
Corrine echoed the sentiment that somehow, it seems that many of those involved in the effort were “meant to know each other and become friends.”
She is looking forward to the upcoming event, which will feature the introduction of the first Rockin’ 4 Heroes Jacob Dindinger Memorial Scholarship recipient. The moment — and the concert — will be poignant for her family.
“He was young, but his generation appreciates all sorts of music and can find common ground with it,” Corrine said. “Jacob had a true appreciation of the classics and Lexington Lab Band will play lots of music I think he would enjoy. He was shy and might not like being mentioned onstage, but he has had to get used to that where he is at now, watching us.”
