At Music Hall Wednesday, SCPA graduates Drew Lachey (left) and Justin Jeffre get ready to perform with their band, 98 Degrees (Stephen M. Herppich photo) | ZOOM |

        Fund-raising for Cincinnati's $52 million planned arts school campus heated up Wednesday at Music Hall with a benefit dinner and concert headlined by the multiplatinum band 98 Degrees.

        Three of the four band members got their start at the School for Creative and Performing Arts - scheduled to be combined with Schiel Primary School for Arts Enrichment and rebuilt next to Music Hall.

        98 Degrees performed free Wednesday night to raise awareness about the $52 million project - and the $22.6 million still needed to get it started.

        “Obviously the school is a big part of us getting to where we are now,” said 98 Degrees band member Justin Jeffre, class of 1991. “We always try to support it whenever we can.”

        Cincinnati Public Schools and a non-profit group, the Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center, partnered to build the kindergarten to high school arts complex. Tentative completion is 2004, with ground breaking sometime in 2002, said Paul Bernish, the project's public relations director.

        The group intends to match the $26 million capital commitment by Cincinnati Public Schools. About $3.4 million is in hand, Mr. Bernish said.

        “We've done pretty well without much publicity,” he said. “But we're hoping this event will be a spur for significant contributors.”

       To donate, call 241-3401.

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