Trash Moon Collective, part of Hot House West, along with Yardwork Presents and Mobile Moon Coop put together a fundraiser for the Hurricane Helene victims of North Carolina and surrounding areas last month in Salt Lake City.

“I know some folks that are putting this event on and Carolina is my homeland and my heartland and I had to come support and rally the troops for this concert,” Meredith Powell said.

Powell is from South Carolina but now calls Millcreek home and worked many summer jobs in North Carolina. 

“My family is in Greenville, South Carolina. Hurricane Helene came through there and it hit a lot of communities in Asheville, Old Fort, Hendersonville and Boone. It just hurt a lot of people,” Powell said.

On Sept. 27, Hurricane Helene hit the Carolinas as a tropical storm but just 12 hours earlier was a category 4 hurricane. The storm dropped 30 inches of rain in the rural parts of the state causing flooding, mudslides and tornadoes. The storm washed out roads, bridges, homes, parts of small towns and left many without power and clean water. 

The Aid for North Carolina fundraiser was held at Church & State Marketplace. Elder Blossoms, Wasatch Bluegrass Allstars, Stomping Cactus, Theoretical Blonde and Swamptime Playing were the bands that performed. A slideshow displaying images of the damage in North Carolina caused by Helene was shown throughout the fundraiser. 

Family square dancing with Chris Gleason calling started the old-time event and disco square dancing with Hayley Kirkland calling ended the fun. 

Grayson Wickel, one of the performers said, “This event is really centered around the celebration and importance of Appalachian music. This is the root of the music that grows into the music we listen to today.” Wickel plays fiddle, banjo and guitar with several bands.

“A lot of us play bluegrass and old-time music here in Utah that is from the Appalachian area and we just want to pay tribute and give back to what that music has provided to us,” Wickel said. “My band is Theoretical Blonde and the Elder Blossoms which is an old-time band with an older style of bluegrass before it became commercialized.” 

“I was born in Asheville and left town two years ago to move to Salt Lake. I went back in October to check on my family and they are safe and OK. They have non-potable water at this point which can only be used for flushing toilets,” Wickel said.

“It has been a real eyeopener to see the damage. It is pretty heavy in the rural communities near the rivers and a lot of people have completely lost everything and now have to start from the ground up,” Wickel said. 

The event was free to attend with a suggested $15 donation. A bake sale and face painting for the kids added to the family fun and were put on by Yardwork Presents and Mobile Moon Coop.

The money raised was split between the organizations Beloved Asheville and Rural Organizing And Resilience (ROAR).

As of press time, Asheville, North Carolina had lifted the boil water notice for all customers. Water resources lab staff confirmed the water supply was free from contaminants. Residents can now shower and drink water from the tap.