DANBURY, CONN. — For 15-year-old Ilyssa, the band Daughtry’s poignant lyrics bring comfort and resolve to a young lady who has spent most of her life in state foster care.

Ives Concert Park, on the Westside campus of Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, has made it possible to fulfill a dream for this local teen. The venue’s Executive Director, Phyllis Cortese, was touched by Ilyssa’s life story and the plight of foster children, graciously offering the teen and her social worker tickets to the August 14, 2012, concert.

Ilyssa has been in state foster care since she was 6 years old and is currently in her 15th placement. Needless to say her life has not been easy. Ilyssa is a huge fan of the band Daughtry, whose music has assisted her in processing life events and moving forward. The opportunity to attend the Daughtry concert has given this special teen something to look forward to, some reprieve from her unsettling world; the quintessential example of the power of music.

There are currently close to 4,300 children in state care with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, whose mandate is child protective services. Ilyssa is just one of a multitude of youth waiting for a family to call her own. Foster parents that care for teens have the opportunity to help a youth reach their potential. They provide a teen with a future and in return receive exponential rewards.

For more information on the joys of foster care and adoption, visit www.ctfosteradopt.com or call 888-KID-HERO.

For more information about the Daughtry concert and other events at Ives Concert Park find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ivesconcertpark.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.