Dr. Jonathan Bayuk: Rocking for a good cause
Written by Charles Noyes
Photos by Kelly Z Photography
Sponsored by Valley Home Improvement
Published in Northampton Living (September 2021)
When Dr. Jonathan Bayuk was young, he wanted to be a rock star, “but it’s a lot easier to go to medical school,” he said. That decision led him to the Valley as he took pre-med first at UMass Amherst and finished at Harvard. After completing medical school in Maine, he did his residency at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and eventually specialized in allergy and immunology. And while his musical skills never materialized, one could certainly call Jonathan a rock star.
Jonathan’s initial medical interest was trauma surgery. “I tried that on for size in medical school. It’s demanding work and incredibly important, but the time comes when you have to decide what you want to spend the rest of your life doing.” For him, that meant specializing in allergy and immunology, a field that has come a long way since the early 2000’s. “It’s incredible what we can treat now. There are things that I never thought could be possible when I started.” One thing he loves about his field is his dual certification by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Internal Medicine, making it the only field that by default allows him to treat both children and adults.
Not only has Jonathan excelled in the medical field, becoming renowned for his heartfelt practice and expertise, but the work he does for the community is extensive and selfless. He’s a trained diving instructor, he runs local youth programs that educate about nutrition and exercise, he’s the vice president of a charitable organization called Homeward Vets that provides furnishings for veterans with new housing, and he’s organized the first ever One Roof Music Festival to benefit the homeless. As he puts it, “I like to help out.”
When he’s not being modest, he’s helping with fundraising for local charities or he’s with his family. He met his wife, Lisa, when he was bartending on Cape Cod in 1993 and they were married at Lord Jeff’s in Amherst in 1999. They have one son, Jameson, who is a senior at the Williston Northampton school and wants to follow his father’s footsteps into medical school. They are all avid travelers, live music fans, and Jonathan and his son love diving together. “Last year,” he started, “we went down to the Bahamas with a group of UMass researchers to take 3-D images of hammerhead sharks. Our plan is to go again this year to a nearby area and study manta rays.”
Due to his specialization and expertise in immunology and allergies, Jonathan has spent a lot of his time answering questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. “I know about how much there is to know on the subject so for a while there I couldn’t have a conversation without it coming up at least once.” This has lead to him receiving the nickname, “Dr. COVID” to which he responds, “I’ve been called worse.” On top of his work improving the health of our community members, fundraising for local charities, and improving our knowledge of marine species, Dr. Bayuk is the driving force behind the One Roof Festival, set to take place at the Three County Fairgrounds on September 18th. “The idea came to me in February when I really started thinking about what we could do when things began to open back up again. I thought about Farm Aid and the impact they’ve had not just in a financial sense, but in an awareness sense as well. I was thinking why not try something similar, but to benefit the homeless. So I thought a concert could be a great way to get people excited about working towards helping the homeless and finding a permanent solution for homelessness.” Though he knows this goal is lofty, he is not afraid of starting small and growing the idea into something massive. “This is not just one show. We are not one and done.”
To this effect, Jonathan has already booked a two-day reprise of the festival for next year and is in talks with major stadiums to try to expand outside of Northampton. “But the attitude with them,” he began, “is they want to see what you can do first. So I aim to show ‘em what I can do. We want to create a model that can be done anywhere else and start a movement. Time is short, but we’re excited and everything’s in place, we just need people to buy some tickets and really get this thing off the ground.”
In his words, the One Roof Festival has one big goal. “My goal is to raise enough money (and this won’t happen this year, but it’s the ultimate goal) to buy land and put small homes on it and put people who need them in those homes. That might be the way we get to a place where homeless lessens and we start to see some real long-term results. Maybe there is a future where homelessness doesn’t exist, but it’s such a multi-faceted issue that we need to tackle it repeatedly and the pandemic only worsened it as well. With all the barriers to entry there are to getting a home, it’s a problem that’s not going away unless we start doing something about it now. My ultimate goal is raise millions and millions of dollars and keep doing these shows.”
To Dr. Bayuk, the idea means a lot more than just putting on a good show. To him, projects like this and all the work he does supporting those in need are part of what makes the Valley a great place to be. In his words, “society just isn’t sustainable if everybody only cares about themselves because we all rely on each other in one way or another.”
Taking place from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the show promises to be one to remember with acts such as Lit, Marcy Playground, The Motels, When in Rome, and more! Featuring local vendors, beer and wine, merchandise, and local crafts, there will be something for everyone! For additional information and ticket information, visit onerooffestival.org.
