A Jackson-based band has been the catalyst for the first ever “Shrimp & GRITZ” fundraising event, which will be Saturday at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, 1302 Adams St.

After hearing about the convent’s east wall collapsing earlier in the year, the band (GRITZ the Band) called and asked if they could do a fundraiser, executive director of the SCHF Stacey Massey said.

So with a name like GRITZ, Massey said it just popped into her head that the food offered for the fundraiser should be shrimp and grits.

“The Gumbo Pot will be preparing all the food, which includes shrimp and grits, white chocolate bread pudding and tea,” she said.

Other beverages will be for sale throughout the evening.

On Jan. 31, bricks began to fall from the wall of the convent, one of the five buildings, which is now the Southern Cultural Heritage Complex.

The four-story Sisters of Mercy convent building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Mississippi Landmark.

Built in 1868, the structure is one of the largest and best-preserved examples of 19th-century Gothic Revival architecture in Mississippi and is one of the most historically significant buildings in downtown Vicksburg.

The SCHF has been in the process of trying to raise money to repair the damage and so far have more than $16,000.

Fortunately, Massey said, they have gotten word that much of the wall will be covered by insurance and now the money will go towards rehabbing the first floor and chapel of the convent.

“We applied for the Mississippi Delta National Heritage grant and have received a $25,000 grant,” Massey said, but it still requires matching funds to qualify, therefore the $16,000 will be put towards matching the grant dollars.

Massey said they have a year to raise the matching funds, but would like to knock it out soon.

Music for “Shrimp & GRITZ” will begin at 4 p.m. in the SCHF courtyard and dinner will be served at 5.

Tickets are $20 and are available at the SCHF business office, the Gumbo Pot, 3401 Halls Ferry Road, Suite 5, by emailing info@southernculture.org. or by calling 601-631-2997.

“If you purchase tickets in advance, each ticket will include a ticket for one beverage of your choice,” Massey said.