Something kind of amazing came to my attention last night, so I’m sharing it with you. I’m hoping that you, in turn, will share the information with the people you know and love. One voice can make a difference, please don’t wait to use yours.
Everyone in New York knows firsthand the devastating effect Hurricane Irene had on so many communities, especially in the upstate counties. Entire towns have been completely wiped out. It’s hard to process the images coming out of places like Schoharie County without having your heart squeeze. One storm has managed to devastate so many local businesses and homes, it’s surreal in the worst way.
In one Lower Hudson Valley town -- in the beautiful black dirt region -- a farmer said it’s harvesting season and with the land under water, he’s lost about $400,000 in crops alone. That’s not including damage sustained to the farm, or the six-figure farm equipment. He’s not sure the business can survive in Irene’s aftermath.
That is just one story out of thousands. Some damages include bridges, highways, secondary roads, train tracks, hundreds of drowned livestock, and all of the homes and businesses filled with water and mud along the way. To make matters worse, most people don’t have flood insurance because this part of the country is not usually subject to flooding.
You may be thinking, “What can I do to assist the people hardest hit in such strained economic times?”
That’s easy.
A group of NYC-based musicians are joining forces and lending their voices to a compilation album. It’s titled, “After the Flood: a Compilation to Benefit Upstate New York Victims of Hurricane Irene.”It will be available as a digital-only release starting September 2nd. That’s TOMORROW!
All of the proceeds will go directly to the Northeast New York State Chapter of the Red Cross, earmarked towards the flood relief and the Schoharie County Community Program.
The album will contain over thirty tracks downloadable in the format of your choice, along with a detailed PDF booklet with information on each artist. Most of them have been featured in this column already, so you’re guaranteed to love it.
Here is the current lineup of the artists who have generously donated a track to the compilation: (Please note this reflects the lineup when this article went to press. More may be included.)
They’ve shared their voices, now it’s time to do your part. New Yorkers are an amazing group of people, and in times like these -- I’m even more proud to be one. Do what we do best in times of crisis, and help your neighbor out. Buy the album on Friday, then tell all of your friends and family to do the same.
**Please note: the album will be available on Friday (TOMORROW), so if you click on the link today don't panic if you don't see the tracks.**
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.” - Buddha
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*If you’d like to request an article, please email Kerri at kmaniscalco[at]hotmail.com. She asks that you give her two weeks notice before the show you're requesting coverage for.
**If you have not heard back from her within a week, your email was probably eaten by spam. Ouch. Feel free to resend with ‘ARTICLE REQUEST’ and band name in the subject line. When in doubt, contact Kerri on Twitter.
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