When Ben Rhodes heard that a Morristown relief effort for Alabama tornado survivors needed a band tonight, June 3, he did not hesitate even for an instant.
Never mind that he had less than 24 hours to round up his rock trio, Nick Dickey.
“It reminded me of what happened in Japan,” Ben said of the April twisters that devastated Tuscaloosa and other Alabama towns a few weeks after an earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. “We’ve got to get as many resources out to them as we can.”
Spearheading that drive is Morristown resident Berit Ollestad, who is challenging the community to fill a 53-foot UPS tractor trailer with relief items for Alabamians on Saturday, June 4. The truck will be at town hall between 9 am and 4 pm.
As a warmup, Berit is inviting people to her neighborhood, at the corner of Franklin Street and Hamilton Place, at 7 pm tonight, June 3.
She has camped out in a tent for the last few nights to promote the cause; tonight she will be selling $5 margaritas and $20 t-shirts to raise money for the relief effort.
That’s where Ben’s band comes in.
“Most everyone enjoys music and I can’t think of a better way to help out on a community project, that we are putting together for another community in need, than coming together to enjoy some good music and great company,” said Berit, who is asking everyone to bring s’mores, soft drinks or other goodies to share.
She added “a very special thanks to the band for not using the excuse that made me throw my hands up in the air on a couple of occasions when I’d ask for help or a donation: ‘Well, that isn’t much time to put something together.”’
Nick Dickey consists of three 2009 graduates of Morristown High School: Ben, the bass player, who is a junior studying sociology at Montclair State University; guitarist Alex Dickey; and drummer Ryan Nally, a student at the County College of Morris.
They played a mix of classic rock covers and original tunes at Greenberry’s in February.
Ben and Ryan have been especially active in the local music scene. They competed twice in Morristown’s Got Talent! as members of Charlie and the Vanilla Faces, which also played the 2009 MorristownGreen.com Music Festival.
Last year they performed with Electric Blue Sunrise at Festival Earth, an event organized by Sustainable Morristown and MorristownGreen.com.
“I think the entertainment value is there to attract attention, and shift the attention to where it really should be, where they need the help,” said Ben.
The United Way of West Alabama said people in tornado-ravaged areas have an acute need for cleaning supplies, bottled water and diapers, as they try to piece their lives back together.
Berit also needs volunteers to load the truck on Saturday, and is looking for restaurants that might donate food for them. Morris Pizza is chipping in, organizers said, and EmbroidMe has supplied the t-shirts at a big discount.
Such efforts are being appreciated in Tuscaloosa, where Mayor Walt Maddox told a candlelight vigil that “we have met the fury of Mother Nature with the best of humanity.”
Relief efforts have “given us the strength to face adversity, the compassion to help our fellow citizens, and the faith to believe that tomorrow will be better than today,” the mayor said.
