Hurricane Helene Fundraiser in St. Augustine Florida
Kai Meyer | October 22, 2024
Almost a week after Hurricane Helene swept through Asheville, my friends and I found ourselves in St. Augustine, Fla. We were coming down from the adrenaline and fear of being surrounded by college students in the wake of panic. No hate, but 20-somethings do not know how to handle disaster, myself included.
This is not a complaint, but being away from Warren Wilson College (WWC) and the greater area felt wrong. It felt wrong to have access to the beach and be in a house with running water and power. It felt like abandoning a community in dire need, that we cared so much about, but did not know how to help.
As with most WWC students, sitting still is not our strong suit. Within nearly 24 hours of arriving in Florida, my friend Cori Moore, who is from St. Augustine, had begun reaching out to old contacts to organize a concert fundraiser. Moore initially conceived the event to bring a piece of Appalachia to St. Augustine through music.
We researched organizations around Asheville and Swannanoa working to provide essential relief and decided to contribute to Beloved Asheville and Bounty and Soul. Both of the organizations provide essential aid and services to the people of Asheville and Swannanoa, like hot meals, canned goods, water, charging stations and flashlights. Both of these organizations had a clear-cut mission of what the donations would be assisting.
The fundraiser took place on Sunday, Oct. 5, on a rainy, dreary day. At first, there were not many people, and we were worried the weather would be a deterrent. But we forgot to factor in island time. Slowly but surely, the bar began to fill with people of all ages, chatting, drinking and dancing.
It was clear that the entirety of the St. Augustine community was behind Moore’s efforts. Spinster Abott’s, a local bar, agreed to host the event, Mamoca Brewing Company donated keg profits, Noah Zicheck created original screen-printed t-shirts, WWC student Sal Ward and I created informational flyers and pamphlets for people to donate directly and Moore and The Timberline Strings as well as Lonesome Ride played for three hours and donated their tips from the performance to relief.
The concert felt special because the entire community was involved in some way or another, whether that be by donating their time, space, talents or money. And if people did not already have a connection with Appalachia, the event was forging one. Moore explained how fundamental Bluegrass is in Appalachian music and sang about places like the Swannanoa Tunnel, making them come alive in the audience's imagination. Moore took the time to talk about the devastation in Asheville and Swannanoa and if it was not already clear, why people should care.
Towards the end of Moore’s set, once people had had a few pints, people started to crowd the dance floor. In a (less sweaty) Contra-like fashion, we twirled and dosey-doed and clapped, doing anything we could to swing our limbs around to the rhythm. As someone who a week previously had seen parts of the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Helene, dancing came as such a relief. Not only was it a way to help raise money for essential needs in Appalachia, but it felt like a part of the magic of that place was conjured in those moments. A type of magic that cannot be washed away.
If you have been displaced because of Helene, and are not sure how to help, feel homesick or simply out of touch with the Asheville/Swannanoa communities, I recommend throwing a fundraising event. It is a great way to raise money for relief, feel connected to those communities and connect with the community you reside in.