Saturday night, American Legion Post No. 15 will be rocking.

The second-annual Jammin’ for the Vets will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the organization’s American Legion Road address in Washington. The fundraiser is hosted by Lee Cherry, founder of Lee Cherry Entertainment and Cherry Crown Records, and is aimed at giving older veterans a helping hand.

“A lot of people are under the impression that American Legion is a government-funded entity. They are not,” Cherry said. “Each post has to carry its own weight with memberships.”

Cherry said part of the issue facing Post No. 15 is that younger veterans are no longer becoming American Legion members, leading to less people on the roster and less money coming in through memberships.

Last year, Jammin’ for the Vets raised $1,100, to be used to pay for the Post No. 15 building upkeep and utility bills to keep it in operation.

“We had a great crowd. Everybody showed up and was very supportive. The spirit of the room was very good,” Cherry said.

He recounted one standout moment, at the end of last year’s performance, when all the musicians got on stage to play “Purple Rain,” in memory of the artist Prince who died in April 2016. Cherry said it was a special moment, complete with the crowd waving flags in unison.

“It was pretty moving, actually,” he said. “I’ve been around a lot of stuff. That was pretty cool.”

Cherry said he was more than willing to take on the organization for Jammin’ for the Vets 2017.

“People were asking me if I was going to do it again. I plan to keep it going. With the support we got from the community last year — I plan to make this an annual event.”

If last year’s Jammin’ for the Vets is indication, there should be plenty of people in attendance, according to Cherry.

“I’m looking forward to the event. I’m really excited about it. I think it’s going to be good one.”

Performers on the 2017 roster include the Moonshine Band, out of Bertie County, along with local musicians in the duo of Avery Bowen and Ann Haven, Cooper Greer, from Ponzer, and the band R3X, based in Washington. Where last year, only snacks were offered, this year, chicken plates will be sold for $7. In addition to the $7 cover charge, a raffle and T-shirt sales will contribute to the American Legion cause.

American Legion Post No. 15 is located at 200 American Legion Road, across from Washington-Warren Airport.