LINCOLN (SNR) - For their next project to raise the necessary funds to go to World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain, a group of a dozen students from St. John the Apostle Church in Lincoln will host a benefit concert featuring contemporary Catholic singer and songwriter Ellen Soukup.

Free-will offerings will be taken for the March 20 Lenten concert at 2:30 p.m. in St. John Church, 7601 Vine St., Lincoln.

This event is the latest in a series of projects the group has undertaken that go a little beyond the usual bake sale or car wash.

"We can’t thank St. John’s parishioners, the Catholic community, and local businesses enough for all they’ve done to help us earn money to go on this once in a life-time pilgrimage to see our Holy Father," said Mary Litt, a junior at Pius X High School. "It’ll be an awesome trip and one we’ll never forget, as we grow stronger in our Catholic faith by just being at World Youth Day."

Each student needs to raise approximately $3,600 to join more than a million of their peers from around the world in Madrid for World Youth Day in August.

With the help of their parents, the students have worked on several projects together including preparing and selling lunches to employees at Dell Perot Systems, helping secure business sponsorships for the group’s t-shirts, hosting junior high school dances and lock-ins, performing odd jobs for parishioners through a "Rent-a-Teen" program, and selling Christmas wreaths and greenery to parishioners.

"While we’re proud of our kids for putting forth the effort to help raise the needed funds, we’re even more proud of the fact that they’ve participated in activities to give back and be good stewards," explained Shana McClellen, whose son Ethan, also a junior at Pius X, will be going to World Youth Day.

"The kids have stuffed and folded bulletins, helped serve food at various church events, and participated in the parish-grounds fall clean-up."