Help Heal Haiti

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by Asheville Now
on Thursday, January 21, 2010

It started with two things on Thursday night January 14: a music band canceled an upcoming performance at the last minute, and we saw an Internet video of an aerial view of the Haiti devastation.

My husband, Bob Hinkle, and I looked at each other after these two things occurred, and said "What can we do?" About the empty performance date, and about Haiti.

We happen to own a large music hall called White Horse Black Mountain. So it seemed like synchronicity - or divine opportunity. We decided to use the newly vacant performance date to put together HELP HEAL HAITI, a benefit to assist people undergoing the horrors in Haiti.

Early next morning - Friday the 15th - we sent an email to our White Horse community asking for help. Within two minutes Nikki Talley responded, an Asheville singer/songwriter who has a direct personal connection to the Sasha Kramer, co-founder of www.OURSOIL.org (Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods), an "on-the-ground" agency begun in Haiti in 2006. Sasha Kramer recently wrote in a letter from Haiti:

"Many of you have asked how you can help in this moment of need and we are so thankful for your compassion and generosity, it is your support and the courage of our Haitian friends and colleagues that gives us the strength we need to keep going. SOIL has decided to devote 100% of all donations that come in the next month to disaster relief."

When Nikki told us about SOIL's decision, that was the clincher.

Now it's Saturday morning, 1/16. We've had so much response from musicians who wished to be part of the benefit, people willing to volunteer, organize, do video presentations, and more, that the benefit has expanded into two days, February 6th and 7th!

We have a new website www.helphealhaitibenefit.com , (erected almost instantly by Don Talley of the Black Mountain Music Scene), a poster (volunteered by local graphic artist Nancy Mason), a location (White Horse Black Mountain), a Benefit Coordinator (Nikki Talley, well-known local singer/songwriter and activist), an "on-the-ground" organization to which to give the money (www.oursoil.org), and great musicians (David Holt, Akira Satake, Kat Williams, Sons of Ralph, Menage, Sirius B, Paco Shipp, and more to come).

Those of us involved in this benefit feel as if we're in the middle of "The Force" and hope to raise a great deal of money to assist the Haitians. We are still looking for help! Contact us at whitehorseblackmountain@gmail.com if you are similarly called to this cause." Thank you for any and all coverage of this phenomenal community event.

WHAT: HELP HEAL HAITI Benefit Concert

WHEN: Sat Feb 6th 7-11:30 and Sun Feb 7th 2-11:00 (Music from 2-6, and the Superbowl on the Mega Screen from 6:30-11)

WHERE: White Horse Black Mountain
105C Montreat Road
Black Mountain NC 28711
828.669.0816

www.whitehorseblackmountain.com

WHO: Bob Hinkle (www.bobhinkle.com) and Kim Hughes, co-owners of the White Horse, and Nikki Talley, Benefit Coordinator and Performer (www.nikkitalley.com), are putting on the benefit.

Don Talley of www.blackmountainmusicscene.com , Nancy Mason of www.nancymasondesign.com and many volunteers are giving their time to raise money in this way for Haiti.

CURRENT PERFORMER LIST: David Holt, Akira Satake, Kat Williams, Sons of Ralph, Nikki Talley, Menage, Paco Shipp, Sirius B, Ol' Hoopty, Ty Gilpin, Daniel Barber, Kim Hughes and Rich Inman, RiYen Roots. This list will expand!

Content Source: www.whitehorseblackmountain.com