Students organize benefit concert to raise funds for Haiti

A benefit concert called “Hope for Haiti” is being held at Sally Loo’s Wholesome Café Friday between 4 and 10 p.m.to raise money for the relief effort in Haiti. The concert will feature a variety of local artists, and proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales, as well as some of the income from the café, will be donated to doctors who are currently in Haiti.

SLOCAL, a community service club from Cal Poly is putting together the event along with SLO Refuge, the collegiate group affiliated with the Seventh Day Adventist Church of San Luis Obispo (SLO Church).

Nathan Phelps, an aerospace engineering junior, is associated with both groups and knows the owners of Sally Loo’s, Jen and Brandon Manuele. Phelps, who is helping to manage Hope for Haiti, contacted the Manueles to see if they would be willing to host.

“(SLOCAL) has held concerts before and really wanted to help with the effort, so we contacted a bunch of local musicians and decided to put it on at Sally Loo’s,” he said.

Some of the artists include Matt Cross, Sierra Chavez and Crooked Wheel.

Cross, who has been involved with Haiti benefits in the past said that he was glad that so many people are getting involved.

“It’s sad that it took such a disaster to really get people motivated, but I’m happy to be a part of this,” Cross said. “I was really honored that they contacted me to play; I feel like I’m out of my realm compared to some of the other groups.”

Many of the bands featured in Friday’s show have different styles from one another. The line-up promises to have something for all concert-goers, from indie rock, to pop covers, to more experimental sounds.

Alicia Baratta and her boyfriend/band-mate Jon Gallow are both Cal Poly alumni and local musical artists that will play during the six-hour event.

“It’s not like I can fly out there and help tomorrow, and I don’t have money to donate significantly, and I’m not a nurse who can help that way, but through this show, I can take something that I’m good at, love and would do anyway, and use it to contribute to this good cause,” Baratta said.

The money from Hope for Haiti will go directly to doctors and medical staff who are currently volunteering in Haiti to give medical aid to those in need. One of the doctors who will be receiving funds is a San Luis Obispo native, Dr. Scott Nelson.

Nelson could not be reached for an interview, but did issue a short letter that can be seen on the concert’s blog. The note said that Nelson is currently stationed in Cap-Haïtien, about 80 miles north of Port-au-Prince, where the quake was centered. Nelson described the quake in Cap-Haïtien as feeling like he had vertigo. Nelson has been actively working in Port-au-Prince since the magnitude seven earthquake hit.

Tickets will be $5 a person and there will be clothing and merchandise sales, also by local artists, as well as a photo-booth for concert-goers to use. All the proceeds will be donated through Amistad International and Cure International. Both foundations are dedicated to global awareness and assistance.