Love You Madly Announces $76,000 Raised for Santa Cruz Fire Relief Through Streaming Event
ONLINE AUCTION LAUNCHED TODAY TO RAISE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, LETTING FANS BID ON GUITARS AUTOGRAPHED BY SAMMY HAGAR (GIBSON LES PAUL STUDIO TRIBUTE) AND JOE SATRIANI (IBANEZ JS240)
(December 8, 2020) Love You Madly’s December 5 “A Stream for Santa Cruz Fire Relief” streaming event has raised over $76,000 from direct donations and t-shirt sales surrounding the event. The 2 ½ hour program was presented with Nugs.tv and featured performances and personal messages of support from nearly 30 artists, including musical luminaries Steve Earle, Sammy Hagar, Boz Scaggs & Bonnie Raitt, Kevin Cronin, Joe Satriani, Los Lobos, and Colin Hay. Hosted by Ben Fong-Torres, Bonnie Simmons and Wallace Baine, it also featured original artwork, moving photography, and profiles on how funds have already been put into action.
“I join viewers from across the country in my gratitude for the musicians and artists who gave voice to our loss and sang to our strength,” shared Community Foundation Santa Cruz County CEO Susan True. “In the words of a fire survivor from the Last Chance Community, ‘to know all those incredible artists and those big people care about us brings us so much hope.’ We’re grateful for the incredible outpouring of generosity from viewers who helped raise over $76,000 for our Fire Response Fund. 100% of your donations will go directly to local nonprofits supporting immediate needs of fire victims and long term recovery efforts.”
Performances from the stream will be featured as the Love You Madly weekly releases continue (Sammy Hagar and Rogue Wave’s performances are up already), adding to over fifty released since the campaign started in September.
“This incredible support across the country from individuals donating is just amazing. To know that Santa Cruz and our community is in people’s thoughts is heartwarming,” said Love You Madly producer Jon Luini. Separate from $14,000 raised through t-shirt sales, donations during the event ranged from $5 to $5,000, the average being $90. “Everyone is facing their own challenges amidst this pandemic, and we are deeply grateful to those moved to join in the recovery we are facing here. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of all of the artists – I can’t thank them enough!”
An encore presentation of the streaming program is currently being planned for early January 2021 to allow those who missed it another chance at watching. It will again be featured at Nugs.TV and the Love You Madly website, santacruzfirerelief.org.
Santa Cruz County has been deeply impacted by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, a historic wildfire resulting in the evacuation of 77,000 people, covering over 80,000 acres, and destroying over 900 structures. Thanks to heroic work by firefighters local and from afar, these wildfires – the most destructive in Santa Cruz County history – are now contained. The community now shifts focus to the overwhelming task of recovery and rebuilding, which is estimated to take over a decade.
100% of all donations raised go directly to the Fire Response Fund managed by partner organization Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (CFSCC). CFSCC has already granted over $600,000 from the fund, strategically distributed where they are most needed, and will continue throughout the entire recovery process. Those inspired to donate can do so at http://cfscc.org/loveyoumadly
Resources
Guitar Auction: https://www.charitybuzz.com/support/5340
Love You Madly Web Site www.santacruzfirerelief.org
Artwork: bit.ly/lym-thanks-graphic
Contact
Jon Luini (Producer) falcon@chimeinteractive.com
Matthew Swinnerton (Co-Producer) Matthew@EventSantaCruz.com
Community Foundation Santa Cruz County info@cfscc.org
