On November 17, all of us were fixed on a tornado that was heading toward the heart of Naperville. Thankfully, that tornado never reached us, but it did rip through the lives of thousands of residents of Washington, Illinois.
I asked myself, how can you possibly comfort someone that has lost everything but the heart that’s beating in their chest? It’s very simple: music.
On December 4, Rock To The Rescue, an organization founded by members of classic rockers Styx, put on a benefit concert in Bloomington, Illinois, for the victims of the tornado. The concert started with Styx and REO Speedwagon anxious to help, and snowballed into a gaggle of Illinois natives and others wanting to lend a hand.
With the help of Brushville, Larry The Cable Guy, Head East, Survivor, Ted Nugent, and Richard Marx, Styx, REO, Rock To The Rescue raised more than $400,000.
I also witnessed a heart-warming moment courtesy of guitarist Gary Hoey when he pulled his “Ho Ho Hoey” Christmas concert into the Arcada Theatre in nearby St. Charles. Hearing of the devastating events in Washington, Hoey saw his concert as a great opportunity to raise money for the victims. Aside from donating money earned from ticket sales, Hoey decided to auction off a guitar during his set. After he gave the instrument a workout, he started the bidding at $100. About 20 minutes later he was handing the guitar to a gentleman who dished out $2,750, which went straight to victims of the tornado.
Music is here for all of us, in so many ways. As all the bands and the sold-out crowd in Bloomington sang at the end of that concert, “I’ll get by with a little help from my friends.”
Hannah Shaw, daughter of Tommy Shaw, is Executive Director of Rock To The Rescue.
For more information visit, www.rocktotherescue.net and www.facebook.com/rocktotherescue.
