Katrina relief concert in the works

Hurricane Katrina and victims it left in its wake in Louisiana and Texas in 2005 have taken a back burner to the recent earthquake in Haiti, which left thousands of people without homes, food or clean water.

Although the natural disaster in Haiti has happened much more recently and definitely needs all the support it can get, the victims of Hurricane Katrina are still suffering from the affects of the storm almost five years later.

New Orleans is still overrun with toxic debris that the storm pushed into the city from local landfills, causing problems with water quality.

Poor water circulates infection, dysentary and medical problems.

As well as the water problems, many people in Louisiana and Texas are still homeless after losing all their belongings in the hurricane, which is perhaps the most pressing problem.
Keene State College’s Habitat for Humanity group is an organization that has not forgotten those in need in New Orleans and Texas and is now taking action to help them.
Habitat for Humanity organized a fundraiser called the Katrina Relief Concert along with the local art collective, The Starving Artist for the victims of Hurricane Katrina that will take place on March 27 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

This fundraiser is a concert in which local bands can play any type of music they are interested in. Bands from Keene State College, Keene High School, the University of New Hampshire and others will be featured during the event. Each participating band must pay $10 in order to perform during the concert. It is five dollars for everyone else who wants to come and listen and support the cause.

Junior Melissa Kumnick, the vice president of Habitat for Humanity, said it was appropriate for them.

“We wanted to do a fund raiser because it ties money with organizations that work with us,” she said.

Junior and the president of Habitat for Humanity, Kristin Mehalick said, although this concert benefits solely Katrina victims, Haiti has not been forgotten in the efforts.
“All our money is going to Haiti,” Mehalick said.

But Katrina still needs relief. Everything is concentrating on Haiti right now but there is still a lot of devastation in Louisiana and Texas.

The money Habitat for Humanity and The Starving Artist raise during their Katrina Relief Concert will go directly to the St. Bernard’s Project, a non-profit organization that builds homes for the people who lost their own during Katrina.
The idea for the relief concert fund raiser was a group effort on the part of Habitat for Humanity.

“We have committee meetings once a week for Habitat,” Mehalick said. “We talk about our ideas there. Originally we wanted to do a battle of the bands type thing, but it turned into just a band night where people can come and play.”

According to Habitat for Humanity, The Starving Artist is a great place to showcase their work and a good way to get their word out. The director at the collective helps bring full profits to Habitat for Humanity who can then send it to their relief organizations.
Food for the Katrina relief event is donated by local businesses.

“Margarita’s is a huge sponsor,” said Kumnick. “In fact it is our biggest sponsor. They have always been really great to us.”

It will be five dollars to get into the concert and food will be provided by Margarita’s and other local businesses.

Every five dollars that spectators pay to see the concert the week after spring break goes straight to the victims of Katrina.

Anna Mansager can be contacted at amansager@keeneequinox.com.