By Desiree Williams
On June 30, 1999, Scott Lintner’s life changed forever. He was diagnosed with leukemia at age 37 and told he wouldn’t live to his 50th birthday. Lintner turned 50 in 2012.
“As we got closer to my birthday in 2012, I thought, you know what, I’m going to have a big party to celebrate, because if I turn 50, I’m going to beat the odds of what they told me,” said Lintner, a Zionsville resident.
Lintner, now 55, created the INDYpendence Day Concert for Cancer as a way to celebrate survival with his family and friends, but it quickly turned into something bigger.
“Let’s try to do something where I can really give back, because there’s a tremendous number of people that really got me through and kept me alive, and there’s a lot of people in my situation that aren’t lucky enough or blessed enough to be able to financially get through it all and live,” Lintner said.
He incorporated The Lintner Foundation in 2013 as a way to raise and directly donate money to cancer patients and their families. His nonprofit, in collaboration with Alt 103.3, will host the fifth annual INDYpendence Day Concert July 4 at the Pavilion at Pan Am Plaza in Indianapolis.
This year’s event features a free party before the concert from 3 to 10 p.m. on the plaza with local bands, games, kids areas, giveaways and more. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the main concert at the Pavilion. Rock band 311 will headline along with New Politics and The Skints.
To date, the concert has raised more than $200,000. This year’s benefactors include the Franciscan Health Patient Fund and the Love Hope Strength Foundation. Love Hope Strength is present at concerts to encourage guests to sign up to be bone marrow donors. Lintner received a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother in 2006, so he wants to encourage others to get on the list.
“I would really like to try to sign up at least 200 people to be bone marrow donors,” he said. “That’s huge. We’ve already had some of the people we signed up last year (be) called to donate for somebody. Literally, they will be saving somebody’s life.”
Tickets start at $35. For tickets, visit indypendenceday.com.
