Founded in 1979, the Sacramento Blues Society promotes and preserves the blues through a number of ongoing activities. In addition to a variety of concerts and blues jams, the society also devotes major efforts to three important areas: Blues in the Schools, an area Hall of Fame, and a Musicians Emergency Fund. That fund, established in 2008, allows any SBS musician to apply for up to $500 for an unexpected financial need. The Hall of Fame honors Sacramento area musicians or advocates with at least 20 years of blues participation or historical impact. As of today, 26 individuals have been so honored. Though it began its Blues in the Schools with a short-lived program in the 1990s, the SBS started its current BITS program in 2004. Over the past 10 years, the program has reached more than 25,000 students in the Sacramento area. In addition to providing after-school lessons to small groups of music students, the SBS continues to provide schoolwide assemblies tailored to the needs and resources of its area schools. Examples include presentations at a high school for homeless teens and at school assemblies featuring jam sessions where students play along with professional musicians.
