BATH — Music makers are welcome — as is anyone else who’d like to pitch in to help a neighbor and friend.

Saturday, traditional music players, and those who love to listen to live music, will be gathering for the Fall Tar Landing Jam. A full line up of local bands will provide music for the masses at the Cuthrell family’s barn/performance space just west of Bath. The music starts at 2 p.m. with a community jam — anyone with an instrument is welcome to play — and will continue into the night.

“It’s just a celebration of friendship and good music and good fun,” said Linda Boyer, Beaufort County Traditional Music Association president.

Tar Landing Jams are held in the spring and fall of each year, with proceeds from the event donated to a worthy cause. A wide range of organizations and causes have benefited from the day of music: from the Beaufort County Arts Council, to old Bath High School’s preservation project, to helping one Bath resident fund the rescue of his historic sailboat that was beached during Hurricane Irene in 2011. But this time around, organizers opted to look a little closer to home for their beneficiary: Don Skinner, longtime BCTMA member and guitarist, banjo player and singer. Skinner has been on board with the BCTMA since its birth in 2008 and continues to promote and participate in every BCTMA event that has led to the organization’s success, Boyer said. In June, Skinner was diagnosed with lung cancer. Now his friends and fellow musicians are reaching out to help.

“The BCTMA is aware that in addition to the physical and spiritual battle that Don and his family are waging, that financial hardships are also an unfortunate foe,” a BCTMA press release reads. “The BCTMA encourages everyone that can to support this benefit for the Don Skinner family both prayerfully and financially.”

For Boyer and other organizers, the decision to donate the money raised at this Tar Landing Jam was simple.

“He’s a member of  our association, and we’ve always gone outside our association for worthy causes, and he’s a member of our organization and he needed some help. And we thought, ‘Well, gosh, we’ll be happy to help him and ease his troubles,’” Boyer said. “You known, when you get right down to it, we’re all responsible for ourselves and our neighbors and if we can’t help those who are close to us, we’re overlooking a good opportunity.”

Starting at 4 p.m., music will be provided by a variety of BCTMA performers as Keyzer Catering’s barbecue/chicken plates, complete with potatoes, slaw, hushpuppies and homemade desserts, are served. Tiki Roadhouse Trio, Bob Daw, The Lonesome Creek Band, Still Water, The Flatland Zingers and The Three Ladies will take the stage to play their own brand of traditional music: blue grass, old time and vintage country and rock and roll.

The Tar Landing Jam is located on Tar Landing Drive, off of Creek Road, just west of Bath. Admission to the event and barbecue plates are by donation only. Those who cannot attend but would like to donate can send a check made payable to Beaufort County Music Association (write Skinner Donation in the memo line) to BCTMA, PO Box 84, Washington, NC 27889. For more information, visit www.bctma.org.