This year’s lineup for Rock Against Cancer will radiate the night with covers featuring the eclectic stylings of Genevieve Carlson & Friends, the three-part harmonies of Buckingham Prep, the sharp skill of Springsteen, Tom Petty and Steely Dan aficionados Stealing Time and the Southern rock and blues-tinged nostalgia of the The Hip Waders.

“I always get a little bit of an adrenaline buzz when I perform,” said 61-year-old bassist for the The Hip Waders and Buckingham Prep, festival originator and cancer survivor Mike Fitzgerald of Pine. “It’s fun being up there and it’s fun to look around and see people singing along and tapping their feet. Most people above the age of 40 would know every song that we’re playing — and a lot of younger people do, too.”

The sixth annual iteration of Fitzgerald’s music festival will be held 5 p.m. Sept. 12 at Wexford’s Friends of Pine Amphitheater, benefiting local nonprofit Cancer Bridges. Born from a merger of the Cancer Caring Center and Our Clubhouse, it offers support, community and programs and services to those fighting cancer, their loved ones and caregivers.

“I think that a lot of patients and families get support just knowing that other people are going through it at the same time,” said Fitzgerald. “We see it at every event we do at Cancer Bridges, just how people get along so well, they talk openly about what they’re facing. It can be challenges from losing your hair, to trying to get better sleep, to dealing with medications, to what they can do to make their lives better when they’re being treated and also when they’re done … A lot of people are concerned about the future.”

As he grappled with his own Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis in the early ‘90s, Fitzgerald’s future was not guaranteed. He got the news on his 25th birthday and subsequently underwent eight months of chemotherapy — followed by eight weeks of radiation — to quell a tumor in his chest.

“They treated me very aggressively. That time in my life was tough, just because I was sick so much,” said Fitzgerald. “And with all the steroids, I gained a tremendous amount of weight, which frankly took me probably 30-plus years to get back to normal.”

Long after his remission, in 2021, he conceptualized the festival alongside legendary Pittsburgh concert promoter Rich Engler in an effort to give back. Fitzgerald recalled finding comfort in the Cancer Caring Center before ultimately becoming a member and board chair who still sits on the board of Cancer Bridges today.

“They always say the grass is a little greener, the sky’s a little bluer,” said Fitzgerald of the life he found in remission. “Since I went through that, things that used to aggravate me, they’re just not worth spending time being aggravated about. You’re really kind of living a new life, and I think your level of appreciation and your level of giving is stimulated to the point where you want to have other cancer patients feel the way you do post-diagnosis.”

To date, his festival has raised more than $30,000.

Mobile wine and beer bar Tipsy Gypsy will also be on hand.

“It’s a fun event. Kids and whole families are welcome. It’s a nice relaxing evening,” said Fitzgerald. “The park’s dog-friendly, too. A lot of people brought their dogs last year. And it’s just a nice family night out, benefiting a great organization and listening to some good music.”

Fitzgerald is ready to put on a show.

“It’s also really fun to play at a place like this amphitheater with Rich Engler handling all the light and sound,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s like our one night a year that we can actually feel like rock stars.”

This year, tickets run $60. The cost includes admission, pizza from The Oven Pizza Co., soft drinks and two alcoholic beverages, with 100% of the proceeds going to Cancer Bridges. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/RockAgainstCancer26.