DARIEN — The community of Darien is preparing for Back to School with a special concert fundraiser on Friday, August 31.

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson has proclaimed August 31 Darien Chooses Love Day in honor of The Jesse Lewis Choose Love organization, whose mission is to create safer schools and healthier children through social and emotional learning.

Jesse Lewis, son of Darien native Scarlett Lewis, was one of the children killed on 12/14. Ms Lewis created The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to help ensure all children have access to social and emotional learning (SEL). The Jesse Lewis Choose Love team is working with Darien Summer Nights to present a special concert fundraiser. The Spadtastics will perform on August 31, from 6 to 10 pm, at Tilley Pond Park, 38 West Avenue in Darien.

The fundraiser will also include live music by Free Flow and special guest Doug Allen, a photo booth, face painting, food trucks, and Choose Love merchandise.

The Jesse Lewis Choose Movement is a charitable organization with a mission to ensure that every child has access to Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). The mission is done to honor Jesse and to spread the message he left on his family’s chalkboard: Nurturing, Healing Love.

Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson stated: “As a mother of five children, I can’t imagine what Scarlett and her family have had to endure. What I do know is that helping our children strengthen their social and emotional resilience will be proven to be one of the most powerful ways to ensure we have a society of healthy, compassionate, and empathetic people. That is why I’m officially proclaiming August 31 Darien Chooses Love Day.”

The Choose Love Enrichment program is a pre K-12th grade SEL curriculum that teaches kids how to get along, how to have healthy and positive relationships, deep and meaningful connections, skills and tools for resilience, emotional management, and conflict resolution and responsible decision-making, among other qualities. Donations, grants, and volunteers enable the program to be offered to schools at no cost.

Those who cannot attend the fundraiser but are interested in donating to the program are invited to visit jesselewischooselove.org or theimpactvine.org and search for Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement.

Ms Lewis is grateful, she said, to everyone who is helping plan and coordinate the August 31 event.

“I’ve dedicated my life to spreading awareness of the solution to the issues our children face today,” she said. “I’m so grateful to my hometown for marking August 31 Darien Chooses Love Day. There’s no greater mission than focusing on whole child development and keeping our children safe. SEL equals safer schools.”