On Sunday, March 9th, a charity drive at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina gave away more than 2,000 free musical instruments to North Carolina hurricane victims, as reported by WLOS.
A riverside community outside of Ashville, Swannanoa was hit particularly hard by the devastating Hurricane Helene. In response, the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour organized the massive instrument giveaway in an effort to assist those affected. The team, including the program’s host Michael Johnathon, spent months collecting donated instruments from 36 different drop-off locations in spots like Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and even Texas and New York.
“We haven’t forgotten the situation of folks affected by Helene,” Johnathon said prior to the event. “You are the comfortable rocking chair of America’s musical front porch. So many people donated violins, guitars, cellos, banjos, trumpets, and more. The response has been phenomenal.”
As the first-come, first-serve distribution day arrived, the team’s stock of instruments had surpassed 1,600 in total. Then, in the days leading up to the event, an additional 200 instruments were donated, according to local coverage from WNC’s Fiasco Media. That number only continued to climb thanks to additional donations gathered by young bluegrass up-and-comer Wyatt Ellis, who helped bring in more than 100 additional pieces of equipment. Following Sunday, the organizers announced that all of the donated gear had ultimately found a home.
The event served as Johnathon’s third instrument drive, and while it was intended to help Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee residents in particular, no recipients were required to provide proof of residence or additional information.
Even months after Hurricane Helene has subsided, relief efforts in affected areas continue to be of incredible importance. Last year, a number of efforts from various artists aimed to provide funding for relief, including charity compilations and sizable donations from folks like Dolly Parton and Metallica. For more information on how to help and where to donate, check out our resource page here.
Content shared from consequence.net.