FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Appalachian Aid 

Music to Bring Healing:  
While this event has passed, the needs of those impacted in the region are still great!  So the organizers are encouraging individual and corporate monetary donations.

Direct contributions to Samaritan’s Purse for Appalachian Aid:

https://fundraise.samaritanspurse.org/fundraiser/5874457

Direct contributions to International Bluegrass Music Association Trust Fund:

https://ibma.org/bluegrass-trust-fund/donate/ 

ReString Appalachia is an initiative from American Songcatcher  and is supported by over 200 musicians, instrument makers, nonprofits, venues, visual artists, actors, and media outlets, dedicated to getting quality instruments back in the hands of those who lost them due to Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton.

https://americansongcatcher.com/restringappalachia/

Coverage of the event can be read below:

Appalachian Aid Benefit Concert at City Winery–Nashville - Music City Music Magazine 
Musicians banding together to support Appalachian flood victims 

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On Monday, October 28, The City Winery in Nashville hosted a star-studded music showcase to benefit the victims of Hurricane Helene. 

Plans for the event materialized after road closings forced members of the bluegrass band Kristy Cox and Grasstime to take a circuitous route through Virginia to get back to Nashville. En route, with phones restricted to Emergency SOS mode, they were inundated with emergency alerts and evacuation warnings. They witnessed the immediate after-effects of the storm: Tractor-trailers struggling to stay on the road, debris-covered roads and roadsides, and many towns along their route under water.

After arriving home safely and witnessing the unprecedented mass destruction, they put together a core group to formulate a plan to make a difference for those affected. 

Noting that Asheville had been like a second home for years, Cox said, “I have so many friends who have been directly impacted by this disaster, and it breaks my heart to see the devastation in the area.” 

Grasstime guitarist and vocalist Robbie Morris hails from Southwest Virginia and has many family members and friends in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. He noted that all the musicians they know have friends or family in the tri-state area affected by the storm. Brian Paul Swenk of Rockwood Booking Agency joined the planning. Having lived in Boone and Asheville, NC, Swenk also felt a deep connection to the communities affected by the storms.

The group  decided they could have a greater impact by raising funds for relief rather than sending in supplies or manpower. Cox said, “I felt hopeless being so far away and unable to help physically. I need to do something, and music is what I do. It can create change. This show seemed like the best way to help as much as possible.”

Swenk observed that the outstanding roster of bluegrass-based acts slated for the show represent his life as a young man learning to play the 5-string banjo throughout the Western NC communities now facing a long recovery. 

The proceeds from the event will benefit two non-profits: The IBMA Trust Fund organization, which supports professional musicians in times of emergency needs, and Wester NC-based Samaritan's Purse, well known for disaster relief mobilization.

Once City Winery agreed to host the event, the team began reaching out to top-tier musical artists in the Nashville area with overwhelming response. All the performers slated to play are donating their time to the relief effort. 

The lineup of music legends and Hall of Famers includes the following confirmed performers who will join 

Kristy Cox and Grasstime: