News of the World

Saturday, November 2, 2024

A sweet dose of storm aid

Pass the hat, or at least pass the link

Hurricane Helene hit an Appalachian region with a savage fury that to inhabitants was of Biblical proportions.

It will take years for many of the dazed survivors in the mountainous area — where North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia meet — to get back on their feet. Western North Carolina was especially hard hit, but East Tennessee also took a few bad punches. Even communities in Northern Georgia, where the Appalachians terminate, took some blows.

So the Petersens joined with Watermission.org to raise money for relief efforts. Watermission is providing generators and water treatment kits to residents whose infrastructure, along with much else, was destroyed.

The band, which is based in the Ozarks region, identifies greatly with Appalachia, as all Bluegrass musicians owe a huge cultural debt to the music of Appalachia. In addition, the family patriarch, Jon, who launched the family Bluegrass tradition, is from West Virginia, most of which is covered by the Appalachians.

The donation site is:
https://watermission.org/2024-petersens-fundraiser/

Meanwhile, enjoy the sweet little fundraiser concert that the family band put on. (Skip ahead a bit to get to the action.)